Broken headed straight to the tavern where his friends were waiting for him. As soon as he pushed open the wooden door, everyone rushed toward him with joy.
“Congratulations, Broken!” they all cheered, their laughter filling the room.
Booba clapped him on the shoulder warmly. “Hahaha, you really are the friend I’m most proud of, Broken.”
Elincia greeted him with a sweet smile. “Congratulations, Broken,” she said.
“Let’s have some drinks today, young man,” Goldrich chuckled, pushing Broken towards a special table prepared just for him.
Ivana, Freya, and Maylock also made their way to the large round table where everyone gathered. All the members of the Ass Guild and Broken’s friends had come together to celebrate.
Ivana, sitting next to him with a bright smile, leaned in. “Congratulations, Broken,” she said warmly. “You did it! You’ve definitely made Master Fokil proud.”
“Thank you, Ivana,” Broken replied, turning to face her. She wore a white dress, her blonde hair framing her face, making her look just like an ordinary NPC girl. No one would have guessed that she was a shielder with a Unique-grade class, holding immense potential and power.
Several members of the Ass Guild around the table appeared curious about Broken’s recent accomplishment.
“Broken, you owe us an explanation,” Goldrich began with a mischievous grin. “What were you doing with Princess Alora in her chamber, huh? Khi khi khi…”
“It’s something I can’t share in front of everyone,” Broken replied with a smirk. “But I might open a premium membership for those wanting all the juicy details.”
The group burst into laughter at Broken’s playful joke.
Standing right behind him, Kingsley gave Broken a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You’ve made us all proud, Broken… I’m honored to know you in this game.”
Jovina immediately responded with a loud laugh. “Hahaha… it’s all because of me! Every single one of you doubted him, except me… hahaha… Now look how he’s exceeded every expectation you had.”
“Shut up, Jovina,” Melliandra interjected. “It was Elincia who brought Broken here.”
Toberry the Alchemist chimed in enthusiastically. “Broken, when are you heading to Slumdon Town? I’m curious about the place, too… I hear the forest nearby is full of rare plants for alchemy… hahaha,” he said casually.
The conversation and questions kept flooding towards Broken as everyone continued to celebrate.
While listening to their conversation, Broken decided to use his Perception skill on the other players. However, he quickly realized that his current perception stat wasn’t sufficient; it only seemed to work on NPCs. Then, he focused on Ivana’s overall stats and was stunned by what he found.
[Name: Ivana]
[Level: 206]
[Strength: 632 | Agility: 471 | Intelligence: 572 | Constitution: 755 | Stamina: 631]
To his surprise, he could see all of Ivana’s stats, unlike when he tried the same with King Alorik or Princess Alora. Perhaps affinity with the character played a role here.
Upon seeing Ivana’s stats, Broken almost cursed out loud. They were staggeringly high! Not just high, but super high!
Her level was still below Princess Alora’s, yet her total stats were comparable to a player with around level 280. Truly extraordinary.
How did Ivana, who started as a chef, acquire such incredible stats? Not even the best players in the Ass Guild could compare to her. Typically, a player at level 206 would have around 2100 total stat points, but Ivana boasted over 3000!
Everyone, all the members of the Ass Guild, everyone in the tavern, would lose their minds if they knew the strength of the NPC seated among them. A woman in a white dress, with a cheerful and friendly smile, who outwardly seemed like someone who needed protection.
Broken stared at Ivana’s face for too long, forgetting himself in the moment. Noticing, Ivana gently grasped his wrist. “Broken, are you okay?” she whispered softly.
Broken snapped out of his daze, still astonished by what he had just learned from her. “Yes, I’m alright,” he reassured.
Ivana smiled at his reply. “Would you like something to eat or drink? I can get it for you.” Before Broken could reply, someone interrupted. At that moment, Goldrich shouted, “Hey! What are you doing just staring at that lady over there, huh? There are plenty of people here! I know she’s beautiful, but you can save that for later, can’t you? Haha!”
Broken glanced over at Goldrich, giving an awkward smile. Goldrich always seemed to find a way to tease him, especially when it came to women.
“Do you want to eat something?” Goldrich asked, grinning. “Ivana’s offering.”
Broken understood the underlying implication in Goldrich’s words.
Ivana tilted her head, her gaze still on Broken. “Is there anything I can do for you, Broken?”
“Ah, no, Ivana,” he shook his head, turning his attention to the others who were already offering him a drink.
“Hey, let’s enjoy this party that we’ve put together for you,” Goldrich chimed in enthusiastically.
A group of people ascended the stage. Among them was Starfall, a mage with straight black hair and an Asian face. This South Korean celebrity sensation wasn’t just an actress; she was
also a singer.
The sound of musical instruments filled the air, capturing everyone’s attention and drawing all eyes to the stage. As the first verse began, Starfall’s exquisite voice resonated through the room, leaving everyone in awe of her talent.
The audience was quickly entranced by her stunning voice; they even raised their hands and chanted “Oy, oy, oy,” making the atmosphere in the tavern even more lively.
Starfall stepped down from the stage, still singing, and walked over to the table where Broken and his friends were seated. She made a gesture with her hand, pointing towards Broken as she finished her song. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause.
“Do you want to sing, Broken?” Starfall asked him.
Broken stood up, returning her gentle gaze and soft smile. Despite the warmth in her eyes, singing was one thing he had absolutely no interest in.
“Uhm,” he hesitated. “I think I’ll pass on that offer. I’d much rather enjoy listening to your
singing.”
Starfall smiled at him and then turned to the rest of the crowd. “Do you guys have a song
request?”
Immediately, everyone started shouting out their favorite songs, eager to hear Starfall
perform again.
Freya, who was seated to Broken’s left, leaned in and remarked, “She is so beautiful, isn’t she? If her fans knew she spoke to you like that, they’d be furious!” She giggled.
Broken glanced at Starfall, then nodded. “Yes… she is perfect,” he said.
Freya whispered back to him, “How do you feel being surrounded by so many new friends
here?” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
He looked around the room once more. “Do they consider me a friend? I mean, am I their friend?” he asked slowly.
“What do you think friends mean?” Freya asked. “If they want to do something for you and want to share something with you, then it’s enough to say they are your friends.”
Broken remained silent for a moment before nodding.
“And me too,” Freya continued, “I’m your good and kind friend.”
Leon smiled and then responded with a joke. “You’re not just my friend. You’re my super
assistant, right?”
Freya nudged Leon’s waist with her elbow and giggled. “I know you’re happier now, right? With so many people around you sharing positive vibes.”
“Who says I’m never happy?” Leon replied, chuckling. “You’re being too harsh on me, you
know.”
