The war between the Oceanic Kingdom and the demon forces had fully erupted—and it was colossal.
From his vantage point, Broken could see it all unfold with terrifying clarity. The rfolk warriors were nothing short of elite. Every spear swing was devastating—slicing through demon after demon with lethal precision. Their speed and power underwater were unmatched, turning them into a wall of living weapons.
These were no ordinary soldiers.
Broken swallowed hard. These warriors weren't just defending their ho—they were trained to crush anything that dared invade it.
But even their strength had a limit.
The demons weren't stopping. In fact, more kept pouring in, from every direction, their monstrous bodies cutting through the dark water like a tide of nightmares. The difference in numbers was now painfully obvious—twenty to one, at least.
Yes, the rfolk were stronger, but they were fewer. Much fewer. And if this continued, exhaustion would set in. It didn't matter how skilled they were—eventually, they'd be overwheld.
anwhile, Queen Nerisa was locked in battle with Duke Haagenti. And what a battle it was.
The Nad Demon had nearly skewered her—but she had dodged, vanishing in a flash of speed, darting through the water like a shard of light. Her agility, her control of space, was flawless. She didn't just excel at ranged attacks—her protective magic and rapid mobility made her nearly impossible to pin down.
She was constantly moving, casting powerful magic in bursts, striking Haagenti with wave after wave of damage while never allowing herself to get cornered.
Even so, it was clear the duel had only just begun.
Back within the kingdom, Broken caught glimpses of the citizens—rfolk erging from their coral hos. Their faces were tense, so panicked, so frozen in place. He had expected more stoicism. Weren't they used to wars like this?
Apparently not.
Maybe this wasn't just another skirmish. Maybe this was sothing worse. Sothing they hadn't seen in a long ti.
And it had only just begun.
Broken moved closer to the do's edge, positioning himself where the view was clearest and the line of battle was unobstructed.
He summoned the Golden Bow of Artemis.
He nocked an arrow and began to fire—one after another, each shot cutting through the water toward the chaotic battlefield.
To his relief, the arrows held their trajectory surprisingly well. Sure, the water slowed them down significantly—their speed reduced to nearly half—but they still struck with enough force to deal real damage.
Bows weren't exactly built for underwater combat, and yet, here he was, landing shots.
But he wasn't just firing blindly. Broken aid carefully, targeting demons who were already weakened or near death—sniping them just as they faltered.
And it paid off.
Each confird kill lit up his screen with satisfying precision.
[Soul Points: 389 / 1,000]
That number was climbing.
This was good. Very good.
With more soul points, he'd have ammunition—real ammunition—for his most devastating skill: Soul Blast, a technique tied to his Soul Drainer Scythe, capable of delivering trendous damage if fueled properly.
As long as he kept racking up those final hits, he'd have what he needed when the ti ca to turn the tide—or take down sothing far more dangerous.
Broken kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield beyond the do, watching every movent, every clash. The protective barrier was holding—strong and resilient—but strangely, the rfolk weren't hiding behind it. They were outside, fighting head-on.
He couldn't help but think it seed… tactically flawed.
If they had stayed within the safety of the do, especially with few long-range fighters among them, they could have provided support without exposing themselves. But maybe it wasn't that simple. Maybe the do wasn't built to withstand prolonged pressure. Or worse—maybe once broken, it couldn't be restored quickly.
That could be why Queen Nerisa and her army had chosen to confront the demons directly rather than risk the do falling. It made sense. Still, the casualties were mounting fast.
Too many rfolk were being cut down, their bodies drifting lifelessly into the depths.
This wasn't sothing they'd recover from easily.
Broken's gaze snapped back to the duel between the queen and the Nad Demon. Duke Haagenti was no longer unscathed—deep wounds now marked parts of his scaled body. Yet he still fought with monstrous fury.
Queen Nerisa, though… She was relentless.
"She's unbelievable…"
Without wasting ti, he drew another arrow and activated a skill.
[Sniper's Focus (Active Skill) Lv. 6 activated]
He locked onto the Nad Demon, narrowing his aim. If he could just land this shot, it would severely reduce the creature's defense. It wouldn't be a killing blow—but it would tip the scales.
The charged arrow soared through the water, cutting through the current with focused force.
But just as it neared its mark—at the very last second—Duke Haagenti turned, lifted a hand, and caught it.
"Damn…" Broken cursed under his breath. "He caught it."
The Queen didn't pause. She launched another surge of magical energy, striking Haagenti full force.
The Nad Demon grunted and swam backward with surprising speed, retreating for just a mont.
In this chaotic, high-pressure standoff, Broken knew he couldn't afford to use just any weapon as an arrow—not from this position. If it missed or misfired, it'd be nearly impossible to retrieve it underwater. His vantage point wasn't built for ssy risks.
But then—everything changed.
A sudden, terrifying shift pulsed through the water.
The Nad Demon's body began to glow—deep, violent crimson. His flesh shimred like burning magma beneath the surface, and waves of energy erupted outward, trembling through the ocean like an underwater quake.
Then ca the voice.
"A lowly human dares to interfere in this battle?!"
Broken's breath caught. The demon had noticed him.
The energy continued to pour from Haagenti's body—raw, untad power pulsing like thunder through the ocean depths. Even Queen Nerisa, fierce as she was, instinctively retreated and raised a defensive shield around herself, her silhouette flickering behind waves of distortion.
And then—like a missile—Haagenti launched.
He surged forward at impossible speed, cutting through the water like a cot of fire. Queen Nerisa tried to intercept him, casting spell after spell, launching burst after burst of magic. But his body, now glowing with fiery red light, absorbed the attacks—his spear leading the charge like a burning arrow through the ocean.
The spear glowed brighter, trailing streaks of molten red that shimred violently. It was clear now—he wasn't just attacking her.
He was aiming for the do!
"Hold him back! Don't let him get near the do!" Queen Nerisa's voice roared through the water.
The rfolk warriors heard her, but many were already injured, exhausted—and so were struck down while trying to respond, overwheld by the surrounding demon forces who took full advantage of the opening.
Haagenti didn't slow.
He tore through the defense line like they weren't even there.
Broken's eyes widened as the Nad Demon closed in on the do, his spear burning so intensely it lit up the ocean. The weapon expanded, growing in size with terrifying speed, the flas swirling wildly around it.
He was going to strike.
"No… no, no—he's going for the do!" Broken gasped.
With a furious roar, Haagenti slashed his burning spear down.
CRASH!
The impact wasn't just a sound—it was a shockwave that tore through the sea. Water twisted violently outward in a circular blast, a ripple that shook the kingdom itself.
Coral towers trembled. Massive stones shifted. Echoes of the blow thundered in every direction, stirring up debris and throwing soldiers off balance.
Broken's vision blurred as he clutched the edge of his perch.
Then he saw it.
A massive, web-like crack spread across the do.
The barrier—strong enough to withstand constant assaults—had finally been damaged.
And Broken, stunned, realized. The Oceanic Kingdom was no longer invulnerable.
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