One of the dragonkin flew straight toward Broken, his wings beating slowly as he ca to a stop right in front of him.
Had he been discovered?
But then, after a brief mont, the dragonkin simply glanced around in several directions without saying a word. His expression remained serious, his gaze sharp and focused.
This one… he had to be at least level 260.
Yet, after failing to find anything unusual, the dragonkin turned and flew back toward his formation.
Broken let out a small, quiet breath of relief. It seed they hadn't actually noticed him—at least, not completely. Maybe they had heard the faint sound of Polly's wings or sensed sothing out of place.
After all, Pawpaw's Shadow Veil skill only concealed them from sight; their physical presence could still be detected, and any movent might leave an impact.
Fortunately, they had landed on a hard stone-paved surface. Their footsteps left no visible imprints, making it impossible for the dragonkin to spot any traces of their presence.
The dragonkin who had confronted him returned to their formation.
For the mont, Broken felt a sense of security, though he remained cautious.
He stayed in place, straining to pick up any useful information from their conversations.
Why were dozens of dragonkin warriors gathered in formation like this?
What exactly was their purpose here?
Then, one of their leaders finally spoke.
"The barrier is getting weaker because of that damn Demon Hand."
Broken sharpened his focus, his ears catching onto those words. It was a brief statent, but strangely, it lined up perfectly with the information he had just discovered about the high-grade monster lurking nearby.
The Demon Hand?
Of course, it wasn't surprising that the dragonkin were aware of such a powerful creature in the area. A monster of that level and grade wouldn't go unnoticed.
But… the barrier is getting weaker?
That ant the dragonkin were facing a real threat because of the Demon Hand's presence.
"The higher-ups are already considering launching a raid on the Demon Hand," the dragonkin continued.
"But it seems we have to deal with so other insignificant and disgusting problems first."
Insignificant and disgusting problems?
"That bastard high elf." The dragonkin's voice carried a sharp edge.
Demon Hand. Problems. High Elf.
Piece by piece, the puzzle in Broken's mind was coming together.
"We need to reinforce the outer defenses. Kill any players you co across—no questions asked."
Broken processed the information carefully. So the dragonkin were dealing with two major threats: the Demon Hand and the High Elf.
Did this an the High Elf Queen was making a move in this area as well?
If she had also sent her people here, then she was likely searching for Ivana, just like he was.
Which also ant… she hadn't found Ivana yet.
But what did that say about Ivana's whereabouts? Was she not here after all? Or was it the opposite—was she here, and the dragonkin were deliberately keeping it a secret?
So far, not a single ntion of the Dragon Princess had slipped from their lips. Either she truly wasn't here, or they were being extrely careful about keeping her existence hidden.
Broken knew one thing for sure—he needed to stay longer and gather more information.
But then, he tried to think from Ivana's perspective.
If she had discovered her true identity, and perhaps even regained mories of her past… what would be the most logical course of action for her?
Then again, logic alone wasn't enough to predict Ivana.
It wasn't that she acted without thought, but rather that her decisions weren't driven by logic alone. Her approach to the world was different.
Broken, for example, responded to situations head-on. He processed things logically, took action, then analyzed and adapted based on what he learned.
But Ivana?
She was soone who led with her emotions. Soone who placed the well-being of others above herself.
So, given everything she had learned about herself, about the truth—what would she do?
Would she seek revenge?
Seeing how Ivana had continued fighting for Dissidia and battling against the demons, it was clear—she hadn't lost herself. She still had full awareness of who she was. She hadn't changed.
And yet, without any warning, she suddenly left.
Not just him. Not just the battlefield. But everyone she knew.
She didn't even leave a single word of explanation for Fokil, despite how close they had always been. And that alone raised even more questions. Why would she disappear without saying anything, especially to soone she trusted that much?
The most logical explanation for her actions was that…
She didn't want her presence to bring harm to the people she cared about the most.
Which ant—most likely—she had chosen to distance herself. To disappear.
To hide.
But where?
But then again… there was no way Ivana hadn't expected Broken to co looking for her here, right?
Especially now that she knew the dragonkin played a major role in her past.
Long ago, the dragonkin had been slaughtered for trying to protect and hide her when she was just a child.
She had to know. She had to realize that Broken would co here—and that, most likely, the High Elf Queen would as well.
And if Ivana had predicted all of this… then wasn't it highly possible that she was still sowhere nearby?
That she wasn't distance herself—but instead, staying close, watching from the shadows, prepared to step in if the dragonkin were ever threatened and needed her help?
Because wouldn't that be exactly the kind of thing she would do? A girl who always put others before herself?
At the sa ti, Broken knew he needed to log out soon—the team battle in the Eternal Challenge was about to begin.
Luckily, it wouldn't be an issue. He could just slip into the Moonlight Dinsion, log out from there, and return to this exact spot later without any trouble.
But just as he was about to do that, a ssage ca through from Goldrich.
[Goldrich]: "Take your ti, we can handle things for now… prioritize your current mission. No need to worry."
Even so… no.
Broken knew better than to completely set aside one responsibility for another. He had to balance his duty to his companions with his mission in the ga. Both were important. And he had to find a way to handle them both.
Only then… without realizing it, Broken felt Pawpaw shift uncomfortably on his shoulder.
"They found us." The demon cat said.
His body tensed instantly.
At the sa mont, their invisibility state had been completely canceled.
His focus had been locked onto the dragonkin troops in front of him, but—
A voice rang out from behind.
"Intruder! Kneel and surrender imdiately!"
He had been discovered!
Turning slightly, he saw several dragonkin standing behind him.
His instincts kicked in—he braced himself for a fight.
At the sa ti, the dragonkin ahead also took action. In perfect unison, they launched into the air, spreading their wings wide as they closed in, surrounding him from all sides.
Their weapons were already drawn, their eyes locked onto him.
Damn it.
Since when?
Hadn't they been completely hidden this whole ti?
"Submit now, or we will cut you down where you stand!"
"You dare trespass on sacred ground? Foolish. You will regret this."
"Insolent intruder! I'll make sure you regret ever stepping into this area!"
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