The Oceanic Kingdom wasted no ti.
In the aftermath of the brutal war, the entire city moved like a well-oiled machine. Everyone—civilians, workers, soldiers—knew exactly what to do. The warriors retreated to recover and heal, while the rest of the kingdom's citizens swiftly began repairing the damage.
Two days later, Broken noticed sothing remarkable.
The barrier do was back.
It now once again encompassed the kingdom, shimring faintly like a veil of calm. Whether it was as strong as the previous do or simply a temporary asure, Broken couldn't tell. And when he asked Queen Nerisa directly, she gave no answer.
Figures.
That kind of defensive capability must be a tightly kept secret—one not even he could casually be told.
But Broken had other concerns brewing.
He couldn't stay here forever—not with the Abyssal Naga Egg taking its sweet ti to hatch. The uncertainty gnawed at him. He didn't like waiting, and he certainly wasn't the kind of person who stayed anchored in one place too long.
There were still other things that needed doing—important things. And the more ti he lingered, the more restless he beca.
A week passed.
During that ti, Queen Nerisa resud her mana transfer routine, entering his chambers with the sa silent presence as always. She sat beside him, placed her hands on the egg, and quietly began the process. When it was done, she simply shifted to sit across from him, not saying a word.
Even now—even after everything he had done for her kingdom—she remained cold, distant.
That seed to be simply who she was.
And Broken didn't necessarily mind. It just… frustrated him. Because he knew she had knowledge—especially about the Vensalor Kingdom and the floating island of the forest elves. Things she hadn't shared.
But today would be different.
Today, he was going to make sure she talked.
"Tell …"
The sudden words broke the silence. Queen Nerisa's voice was calm, low, and unexpectedly direct.
Broken raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "What's with the sudden 'tell '?"
"You have questions? Or requests?" she said simply, her gaze steady.
"I've had questions since the beginning, and you knew that," he replied, his tone firr now.
"Yes. Then tell ," she said again, this ti softer, but no less direct.
He didn't hesitate.
"I need to know where the floating island of the Vensalor Kingdom is," he said. "It's connected to a quest—sothing important that I need to finish. I can't move forward without it."
Nerisa's expression didn't shift, but her voice darkened slightly. "And what do you expect to find in a kingdom long destroyed and swallowed by void?"
"…What do you an?"
"I told you already. Vensalor is gone."
"Gone how?"
"There was a war—long ago. A war between the forest elves of Vensalor and the demons. After that battle… the island vanished."
"Vanished?" Broken narrowed his eyes. "But if you say it vanished, that ans you know where it was. Where did it go?"
She hesitated only briefly. "Yes… I know where it was."
"But what about the forest elves? The people who lived there?"
Her response was cold. "How would I know that?"
Broken clenched his jaw. "If a war like the one we just survived happened to them… if the island was destroyed, then of course the kingdom would've fallen. But I still need to confirm it for myself."
He couldn't let this rest. Not yet.
This was a quest tied to the Moon Goddess herself. There couldn't be a mistake.
He had to see it with his own eyes—whether it had crumbled into ruins, sunk beneath the ocean, or was buried sowhere in shadow. A kingdom that large, a floating island of that scale—it couldn't have just vanished.
There had to be sothing left.
"I need to find what remains of that kingdom," Broken said, his voice firm. "And yeah, I have to leave. I can't stay down here forever. You need to help locate it."
Queen Nerisa remained quiet for a mont.
By now, Broken didn't hesitate in asking things from her anymore—not after everything he had done. He wasn't just so outsider. The Nad Demon had been brought down by both of them, but it was his blade that ended it. He'd earned his place here.
Their trust had grown. Their affinity now stood at 23%, which for soone as guarded and cold-hearted as Queen Nerisa… was huge.
Finally, she spoke.
"I can give you the location where the island was last seen."
Broken's eyes lit up. That was exactly the answer he'd been hoping for. With the Oceanic Kingdom's mapping capabilities and the mobility of the rfolk, reaching that place would be easy.
"Yeah? Good. Let's go now," he said casually, standing up.
But Nerisa shook her head. "I can't go with you."
He tilted his head slightly. "Well, that's fine… if you can send with your army."
"They can't go either."
"Oh," he said, voice flat. "So you're just going to give the coordinates and let swim into the unknown alone?"
"You have a ship," she replied smoothly. "You can go. But I will assign soone to accompany you."
Broken rolled his eyes. "Still keeping an eye on like I'm your personal prisoner, huh? You do realize we've built so trust by now, right? You're very… protective, you know that?"
"I'm doing it to safeguard the Guardian," she said without hesitation. "I can't allow you to disappear. I won't deny that."
He smirked. "Sure. And you're not even trying to hide it."
After a brief silence, Queen Nerisa turned and gestured for Broken to follow her out of the chamber. He trailed after her through the quiet, glowing corridors of the palace until they reached a long, open hall near the outer courtyard.
There, waiting in stillness, stood a rfolk warrior—taller than most, clad in refined silver-blue armor that shimred like polished obsidian under the sea's dim light. His presence was sharp, commanding, and Broken couldn't help but glance at his status screen for a peek.
Level 307.
Yeah… finding level 300 warriors in this kingdom was almost too easy.
"Tirien," Nerisa called.
The warrior bowed low to her without hesitation.
"I'm assigning you to escort King Broken to the last known location of the floating island of the Vensalor Kingdom," she said, her tone formal.
"Yes, my Queen," Tirien replied with a voice just as composed.
Nerisa then turned back to Broken. "You need to return once you've completed the quest."
He exhaled lightly and gave her a crooked smile. "Why don't you co with on one of these journeys, huh? Next ti—once the kingdom recovers—you should consider it. A year to is a long ti, you know."
The queen didn't reply.
Typical.
Broken swam forward, his body now gliding easily through the water thanks to the Demonbrand Tail accessory swaying powerfully behind him. Tirien followed closely.
They soon left the protective boundary of the kingdom, entering the vast open ocean.
"We need to swim up to the surface," Tirien said calmly.
"I got it," Broken replied. "So the whirlpool from the island above really was a one-way trip…"
That ant no shortcut back. They'd have to swim all the way to the surface manually—and that would take ti. A lot of it.
It was going to be a long, boring swim.
But at least, he'd finally get to reunite with his team—back on that abandoned island where everything had started.
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