Chapter 722 - The Golden Paragon's Price
Broken stood frozen, gripping his spear tightly.
The entire battle, the endless struggle — it still felt unreal.
And yet, the system notification that appeared before him left no doubt.
They had done it. They had killed Focalor.
Even as the notification lingered in his vision, he dismissed it, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He scanned his surroundings carefully, making sure there were no more surprises.
Alora was still on her knees, bracing herself with her sword. Her breathing was labored, and the glow of her Golden Paragon began to fade into nothingness.
Moments later, Broken's own Golden Paragon vanished as well.
Nearby, Ivana approached Alora, her dragon wings shrinking and folding back into her body. Without a word, she bent down and helped the princess to her feet.
And then, Ivana pulled Alora into a gentle embrace.
Broken remained standing in place, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the adrenaline continued to course through his body. Slowly, he closed his eyes, letting the rush fade and a quiet calm settle in its place.
In the distance, cheers erupted from all directions.
Victory!
The sound of celebration spread across the battlefield, a chorus of relief and triumph.
Broken opened his eyes, and before he could react, two figures ran toward him.
Both women threw their arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
It was Princess Alora and Ivana.
"Broken… we won," Ivana whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "We won. We killed the Named Demon. We did it."
Broken nodded, resting his hand gently on the back of Ivana's head. Alora's arms remained wrapped around him, holding him close.
As he glanced around the battlefield, he noticed a few scattered demons still lingering in the distance. The weaker creatures hadn't been wiped out yet, but the tides had turned.
The remaining forces were being hunted down and crushed.
The battle wasn't entirely over, but the real threat was gone.
Broken took a deep breath.
The main enemy was destroyed. Victory was finally theirs.
He noticed several figures approaching in the distance — Fokil, Zeno, and the remaining members of the Vensalor Guild.
Broken released his embrace from the two women.
As they drew closer, Alora walked toward Zeno, while Ivana stepped forward to greet Fokil.
Around them, the air was filled with cheers, shouts of triumph, and the unmistakable energy of victory.
Soon after, Maylock appeared by Broken's side, patting his shoulder gently.
Broken turned to him. "Thanks for coming."
Maylock shook his head slowly. "I only did what I had to do."
Broken nodded in quiet acknowledgment before his gaze shifted again — toward Ivana.
"There's still much to be done after this," Maylock said, breaking the brief silence.
He continued. "Rebuilding the kingdom, the Princess's ascension to the throne, and…"
Broken glanced at him. "And?"
Maylock stepped closer, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Celebrating your wedding."
Broken blinked, his brows furrowed. "You know about that?"
Maylock chuckled softly. "Where else do you think you got the Golden Paragon from, if not through the Harem Ring?"
Broken let out a low sigh, shaking his head with a faint grin. "That's a unique way to name the ring King Elandorr gave me."
Maylock smirked. "Fitting, though."
As their conversation drew to a close, the battle was finally over. Truly over.
The remaining knights and troops wasted no time, immediately moving to clear the battlefield, organize the forces, and ensure no demons remained.
Meanwhile, Princess Alora had already joined the other knights, issuing orders to the higher-ranking officials to divide tasks and stabilize the situation.
The war might have ended, but the work of rebuilding had only just begun.
Broken and Maylock, followed by the remaining members of the Vensalor Guild, walked together into the city. Ivana and Fokil were right behind them, the group moving through the streets that were slowly settling after the battle.
"How much longer is your login time, Broken?" Maylock asked, glancing at him.
Broken checked his interface. "Ten hours Yunatea Time."
Maylock nodded. "I can stay. I'll wait for the others to log back in, then we can divide tasks."
"You sure you don't need to log out soon?"
"Maybe." Maylock shrugged, then sighed with a soft smile. "But honestly? This game makes me feel nostalgic."
"You know everyone misses you too, right?"
Maylock turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Because you're all struggling without me in the guild?"
Broken smirked. "I won't deny that your absence left a huge void. Your brilliance is hard to replace." He paused before adding softly, "But more than that… we've been worried about you."
Maylock slowed his pace, then suddenly threw an arm around Broken's shoulders.
"That's so sweet, you know," he teased.
Then they laughed quietly.
Broken and the others made their way into one of the remaining intact rooms in the castle. There were urgent matters to discuss, and this was the best place to do it.
Inside the room sat Maylock, Freya, RememberMe, Pussycat, and Forev.
The moment they sat around the round table, RememberMe was the first to react.
"Oh damn, Broken!" he blurted out, grinning as he said. "You actually made your marriage to Princess Alora official?!"
He laughed and gave Broken a hard slap on the back.
"That's totally unexpected, right?" Pussycat chimed in with a smirk. "Getting a chance like that, at a time like this?"
"But it was a smart move," Forev added with a nod. "Especially since that marriage secured him the Golden Paragon."
The atmosphere grew more relaxed as the banter continued, but Maylock suddenly shifted the tone with a question.
"Are you okay with it, Freya?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone turned to Freya.
Her eyes narrowed, confused. "Why me?!"
Maylock chuckled. "Oh, what a polite response."
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"You shouldn't even be online, Maylock!"
RememberMe couldn't resist jumping in. "Yeah, Freya, relax. You can still marry Broken outside the game, hahaha!"
"Shut up!" Freya snapped.
The room erupted into laughter, breaking the tension.
Freya crossed her arms. "Idiots…"
Freya turned her gaze toward Broken, narrowing her eyes. "What?"
"No…" Broken shook his head and smiled faintly. "I didn't say anything."
"I hate your smile."
The room burst into laughter, the tension breaking for a brief moment.
For a while, they continued chatting and laughing, letting the lingering euphoria of victory fill the space. After all, it had been a long, grueling war.
Even if the entire battle had only lasted a few hours in real time, the emotional weight of it felt immense.
They had faced four Named Demons, each bringing chaos and destruction, forcing everyone to push their limits just to survive.
Then, there was the appearance of the higher-ranking Named Demon. The death of King Elandorr. And finally, Demian's transformation into the new Named Demon.
No one could tell how long it would take for the Dissidia Kingdom to recover from the devastation.
But one thing was certain — the kingdom needed a new ruler. And the ascension of the next monarch would have to happen soon.
The laughter faded. Silence returned to the room.
It was Maylock who broke it.
"I have a few things I want to discuss," he said.
Everyone's attention shifted toward him.
"First, we need to address the most critical issue." He paused for a moment, his gaze steady. "The Sword of Dissidia."
Broken nodded slowly.
They'd finally reached this point.
The moment he'd been haunted by ever since he received that quest from King Elandorr.
The moment he'd be face-to-face with the truth behind the sword.