Queen Nerisa gracefully picked up the small glowing tree from its container and handed it to Broken.
[Lifebound Vensalor Sapling]
[A rare sapling from the lost Vensalor Kingdom. Its properties are unknown, but it is said to protect, nurture, and strengthen those who care for it. However, its true potential remains unclear.]
Broken read the description, frowning slightly.
A tree that protects and nurtures? But no actual details on what it does?
He turned to Nerisa. "What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"
The queen's gaze remained steady. "This is a tree that once flourished in the Vensalor Kingdom. We have preserved it, but since it cannot grow in our waters, we offer it to you."
Broken's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is this the treasure you spoke of earlier?"
Nerisa shook her head. "No, that is sothing else."
Alright.
That ant there was still another treasure out there.
His fingers lightly tapped against the delicate surface of the tree as he thought for a mont.
Then, he reached out with his mind, sending a ssage to Cecilia, the Guardian of the Moonlight Dinsion.
"Cecilia, do you recognize this tree?"
A mont later, Cecilia's voice echoed in his mind. "Master, I apologize, but I do not recognize it. However…"
She hesitated for a mont before continuing.
"It radiates an imnse life force. This tree holds a powerful energy within it."
Broken's fingers curled slightly around the sapling as he processed her words.
"What do you think about planting it in the Moonlight Dinsion?"
"I am certain it will grow into sothing beautiful. Even in its small form, I can already sense its brilliance."
Well—good enough for him.
If Cecilia, the guardian of the Moonlight Dinsion, thought the tree was safe, then there was no harm in keeping it.
Without hesitation, he stored the tree into the Moonlight Dinsion, and it vanished from his hands in an instant.
"Find a good place for it and plant it there, Cecilia."
"Understood, Master."
***
Queen Nerisa gracefully rose from her seat. "I shall take my leave for now," she said smoothly before turning toward the exit.
Her attendants followed closely behind, and in a matter of monts, the chamber doors closed behind them.
Finally.
Broken exhaled, feeling a bit of relief for the first ti since he arrived here.
One problem solved.
He had secured help for the egg, gotten a valuable gift, and on top of that—there was still an even bigger potential reward waiting for him.
For now, though—he could afford to rest.
Leaning back against the couch, his gaze wandered around the ornate decorations of the room. The fine craftsmanship on the walls, the smooth marble floor, the subtle glow of enchanted crystals—it was all undeniably luxurious.
After a few monts of silence, he finally pushed himself up and walked over to the large bed in the corner.
Without hesitation, he threw himself onto it, sinking into the soft material.
Yeah—this was way better than sleeping in a damp prison cell.
But before he allowed himself to relax, there was one last thing to check.
Moonlight Dinsion.
He activated the skill—
And instantly, his body vanished from the chamber.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in the Moonlight Dinsion.
And surprisingly—
It was nightti.
Just as he was taking in the peaceful sight, a familiar figure appeared, gracefully floating toward him.
Cecilia.
She lowered herself slightly, offering a gentle smile. "Welco back, Master."
Broken gave her a small nod. "Where did you plant the tree?"
"Please, follow ."
She began floating toward the lake, and Broken followed.
As they reached the area, he saw it—
A small island in the center of the water.
And at its core, standing among the gentle ripples of the lake—
The Lifebound Vensalor Sapling.
Its leaves glowed faintly in the moonlight, casting a soft golden shimr against the dark water.
Broken stood at a distance, taking in the sight.
This was a perfect place for it.
"Take good care of the tree," he said calmly. "Let know if anything unusual happens."
Cecilia nodded with a serene expression. "Of course, Master."
Broken turned away from the lake, already setting his mind on the next task at hand.
There was sothing he needed to prioritize whenever he had spare ti—sothing that had already beco a routine for him.
The Tower of Trials.
He needed to challenge it as much as possible, push through the floors, and claim the rewards.
More importantly—
He needed another Gate.
Right now, his biggest problem was traveling efficiently between Dissidia Kingdom and his current journey.
And the fastest way to fix that? A mobile teleportation Gate.
Without wasting ti, he activated the trial.
His surroundings shifted in an instant, and he found himself standing in the familiar chamber of the Tower.
The trial began.
A spear materialized in his hand.
And in that sa mont—the doors around him burst open.
From every direction, monsters poured into the chamber.
The ceiling was noticeably higher than in previous floors. Which ant bigger enemies.
Sure enough, massive creatures began stepping into the chamber, their sheer size dwarfing him completely.
Broken exhaled sharply. "Hell."
This was going to be a pain.
***
There was so much Broken wanted to know from Queen Nerisa.
The Vensalor Kingdom.
The war in the past.
The threat of the demons.
But every ti he tried to steer the conversation that way, she skillfully avoided giving him full answers.
It was clear. She was hiding sothing. And that only made him want to dig deeper.
But for now, he played along.
For the next several days, Broken remained in the chamber.
Queen Nerisa only visited once a day, spending a short amount of ti supplying mana to the egg before leaving again.
At this point, he was starting to feel like they had placed him here just to keep him contained.
Yes, the room was luxurious, but the door was always guarded, and he wasn't allowed to leave—not even to explore the underwater kingdom.
Was this just another prison?
…Well, at least it was better than an actual cell.
Still, the egg's progress was painfully slow. It had only reached 8% so far, and judging by the rate, he estimated it would take at least three to four months before it hatched—assuming it didn't ask for anything else ridiculous.
And he couldn't afford to wait that long. Alora was close to giving birth—he needed to return to Dissidia Kingdom before then.
Then, one day, Queen Nerisa entered the chamber again.
Her movents were as graceful as ever, her presence impossibly composed.
At the sa mont, Broken had just logged back into the ga. He was still on the bed, stretching slightly from his position.
As usual, they moved to the center of the room where she sat beside him, prepared to supply mana to the egg.
And as always, she remained completely silent.
The quiet, as usual, stretched on.
Then, for the first ti, she spoke first. "King Broken."
Broken's eyes flickered toward her, surprised not just by the fact that she had spoken, but by how she addressed him.
King.
She had never called him that before.
She had either referred to him as "you" or simply not addressed him at all.
Now—King Broken. Sothing about it felt intentional.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at her. He didn't respond. He simply waited.
Then, her voice, as calm as ever, ca again. "This child… it will be ours. Do you realize that?"
…Wait.
The hell was she talking about?!
He had no idea how to even begin responding to that.
"…I don't."
This needed to be discussed properly!
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