[You received 10/10 of the Lone Survivor of a Forgone Era tale sheet]
[The tenth challenge has been conquered.]
[Your Courage Points have been doubled as a reward.]
[Name: Broken]
[Courage Points: 9,454,400]
“So…” Broken let out a sigh of relief after reading the notification. “What a joke! Was the challenge really completed just by testing my courage to face the final?”
Regardless of the simplicity, he felt an immense sense of gratitude and true glory for completing his first-ever Trial Domain, and not just any trial but a level 150 Trial Domain. Undoubtedly, this accomplishment would become the envy of many.
The challenges he encountered consisted primarily of puzzles and riddles, requiring a blend of courage and a bit of recklessness to solve, often feeling more like a gamble. He wondered who designed such a trial domain.
A perplexed grin spread across his face as the adrenaline from his last encounter still surged through his veins. His body remained tense, but as he glanced around, he noticed that the hundreds of figures surrounding him were gone.
The monsters had vanished without a trace, leaving him alone in the silence of the empty field. He sighed in relief, feeling the tension in his muscles begin to dissipate.
“But, where is my reward?” he asked himself quietly, turning his head in all directions. He then read the last part of the story snippet from the Trial Domain.
[The Dragon Princess lost her wings. But she was ready to take on her destiny.]
Broken voiced his confusion as he read the final lines of the story, “The Dragon Princess!? This is exactly what Freya suspected, it really relates to the plot of the downfall of the dragon race.”
“But why does it say all of the dragons are gone, and only one remains?” he questioned aloud. “This doesn’t seem right. Is the ‘group’ here referring to her royal family or her species? Do dragons have their own kingdom?”
“There’s no way dragons are completely gone, they still exist in Yunatea,” he asserted. “Or maybe this refers to their status no longer being as powerful as it once was.”
Furrowing his brow, he tried to piece together the mystery. “Maybe I should talk it over with Freya instead.”
Broken was eagerly awaiting the announcement of his final reward when suddenly, the ground beneath him shook violently. He stumbled, struggling to locate the source of the tremors. Looking to one side, he saw the earth cracking open. Quickly, he ran to avoid the fissure. From the split ground, something began to rise-slowly emerging from the depths- a throne? It appeared almost magically, ornately designed with diamonds and rubies inlaid in gold.
As the throne finished ascending, the ground’s violent shaking subsided, and the cracks started to close, returning the ground to its normal state.
Broken furrowed his brow in confusion as something began to materialize upon the throne. From thin air, a figure became visible, eventually taking a clear form and sitting regally on the throne. The man wore majestic gold battle armor adorned with rare rubies, and atop his head rested a crown fit for a king.
“Who is he?” Broken wondered aloud, struggling to find his voice but choosing to remain silent.
The man appeared to be well over seventy years old or even older, yet traces of youthful vigor could still be seen beneath the surface. Though slightly thin, his body was sturdy and exuded strength. However, his face was worn and weary, as if the years had drained him of vitality.
The man’s eyes were sunken, with dark bags casting a shadow over his gaze as it fell upon Broken.
“Sir?” Broken called out cautiously, “Who are you?”
Above the man’s head was the inscription [Elandorr]. He was clearly an NPC, yet his presence radiated the authority of a king or a warlord.
Elandorr’s voice boomed through the area, filled with authority yet laden with a palpable sense of boredom.
“So…” he began, “You’re the current Sloth Champion?” His piercing eyes bore into Broken, scrutinizing him intently.
How could this figure be privy to Broken’s secret identity as the Sloth Champion? Internally, his emotions roiled, but he wore a mask of calm, careful not to utter anything that might expose him further.
Elandorr, lounging indolently on an opulent throne, scrutinized him with a look that was both lazy and penetrating. “You appear so fragile. Are you truly the Sloth Champion?”
His voice was a languid drawl, one hand cradling his head, the other leg draped over the armrest in an air of complete slothfulness.
Broken’s thoughts whirred, trying to unearth the significance of the name Elandorr. It felt familiar, yet no concrete memory emerged. He remained silent and waited for further clarification from the man before him.
Elandorr seemed to exude even more weariness as he continued. “I’m exhausted, so I’ll keep it short,” he said, his tone detached. “I’m dead. What you see is merely a fragment of my soul.” A heavy silence hung between them before Elandorr resumed. “I was once the King of Dissidia, Elandorr Rogwyn.”
The revelation hit Broken like a splash of cold water, his eyes widening in shock. “You were the King of the Kingdom of Dissidia?”
A resigned sigh escaped Elandorr. “Yes,” he replied.
With a cracking voice, Elandorr spoke again, “There is something I must tell you. I am too weary to delve into the details. It concerns the Divine Champion’s great war from ages ago.”
“A great war? Please, tell me more,” Broken implored.
Elandorr sighed, fatigue evident in every word. “I’m too lazy to recount the full history. You can uncover the details on your own. But tell me, is the Queen of the High Elves, the Pride Champion, still ruling today?”
Broken hesitated, uncertain of the timeline since that conflict and if the one Elandorr spoke of still ruled. “Your Majesty, I do not know her exact status after all this time. The Queen of the High Elves is indeed still a Pride Champion, but if she is that same Queen from your time, I’m
uncertain.”
Elandorr barely stifled a yawn, his eyes nearly shut. “Alright, so she still lives. Your task will
be far from simple then.”
“Task?” Broken echoed, perplexed.
Elandorr took a deep breath, his expression becoming more solemn. “You have shown yourself to be both courageous and honorable. It is now my duty to entrust you with a
significant legacy.”
A spark of anticipation ignited in Broken’s eyes as Elandorr began to outline the rewards he would earn for conquering the Trial Domain.
“Yes, sir, I have completed this Trial Domain with over nine million Courage Points. What kind of reward could I expect?” Broken inquired, barely able to contain his excitement. “Before we get to that,” Elandorr said, “you should know that I was also a Sloth Champion, just like you. But I possessed strength far beyond what you have now. No, ‘beyond’ doesn’t even begin to cover it-I was a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot more powerful than you.”
“So, you are the legendary Sloth Champion from Dissidia Kingdom?! I am incredibly honored to meet you in person, Your Majesty,” he exclaimed.
Elandorr’s expression turned more intense. “I want to pass on an unfinished task to you. It is not merely a task to kill someone-it involves deities, and not just one, but several of them.” “What?!” Broken’s voice echoed in shock as he absorbed the gravity of Elandorr’s words.