Chapter 17 - I Killed One Of Them

Broken's mana was almost depleted, and he had already consumed his last Mana Potion. He knew he had to outlast the five higher-level player killers, hoping they would make a mistake that he could take advantage of to defeat them. Otherwise, he would be their next victim.

He had taken numerous hits from the greatsword man and could no longer parry effectively without risking the destruction of his Ironwood Blade, which would leave him weaponless. If only he could kill one of them and take their weapon, he might have a chance to turn the tide.

Another heavy blow landed on him, and this time, his armor couldn't withstand it anymore. His body armor shattered, leaving his bare chest exposed. The armor he wore was of poor quality, and its durability had already dropped significantly. This was bound to happen.

He was thrown to the ground, rolling painfully through the grass. He quickly got back to his feet, now bare-chested and vulnerable, with a lower defense stat to withstand the onslaught.

The greatsword man looked pleased with himself. "I'm going to break the rest of your gear and leave you naked. This will make for a great show to share on social media, hahaha," he taunted.

Broken's Health was critically low. One more hit would end his life. He wasn't too worried, though—he had nothing to lose. If he died, he would simply respawn at the Temple of Resurrection, saving time despite losing some experience points.

However, things got worse than he had expected. His lower armor also ran out of durability and shattered, leaving him in nothing but his underwear, iron gloves, and boots. He felt increasingly frustrated, being forced into such a humiliating situation even before they had killed him.

"Hahaha, look at you. You're practically naked, haha," the swordsman jeered.

"Not fully naked, I've got underwear on," Broken retorted.

Broken decided to run again, fed up with facing these player killers, but the greatsword man chased after him, laughing as if it were some entertainment.

The greatsword man swung his weapon playfully, making Broken look like prey fleeing a predator.

"Stop it, asshole. Do you enjoy watching a naked guy like this? There's something wrong with your head!" Broken protested.

"I'm going to humiliate you, fool."

Determined not to give up, Broken searched for any opening, any way to turn the situation around. His mind raced, trying to think of a plan as he continued to dodge the greatsword man's attacks.

Polly, despite her strength and potential, was held back by his current level and skills. He needed time to catch up and fully utilize her abilities.

[Level Up]

In a miraculous turn of events, Broken gained a level in the heat of the battle. His Health, Mana, and Stamina were fully restored, a perk that every player receives upon leveling up. He turned around and flashed a victorious smile at the man wielding a greatsword.

"What nonsense is this? How did you recover so quickly? What item did you use? You can't possibly have leveled up in the middle of a fight!" the greatsword man exclaimed, baffled.

"Spend 10 on Intelligence," Broken murmured to himself. He needed the Intelligence Stat to boost his healing abilities while he had enough skills to enhance his physical damage.

Broken's grip tightened on his sword as a surge of hope surged through him. After restoring his Health and Mana, he finally had a chance to fight back.

The battle between Broken and the five attackers near the Shrine of Regeneration had drawn the attention of several players hunting nearby.

"Damn, look at that. Is that a player killer?"

"The naked man, his gamer name is orange. I think he just killed one of their targets."

"Damn, he charges at his victims like a psychopath. I wonder how high his level is. He's confidently fighting them without armor and using a low-level sword."

"What about recording this footage and sharing it on social media to raise awareness among nearby players?"

"Damn, look at his expressions. He's a cold-blooded killer. I hope the royal troops arrive soon and capture that shirtless player killer."

Polly's clones were eventually defeated one by one, leaving only her real body. Realizing she could no longer distract the attackers away from Broken, she quickly joined him while the attackers surrounded them from all sides. They were in a dire situation.

After another intense combat, it pushed Broken to his limits, his Health dropping dangerously low.

"Kill the Spirit Beast! Leave this fool, for last," the greatsword man commanded.

The greatsword man's attacks grew more brutal, delivering blow after blow until Broken's Stamina and Mana were nearly depleted. In the final strike, the greatsword hit Broken's neck, sending him flying into the grass.

"Master!" Polly cried out in panic, rushing toward Broken.

[You were hit with a devastating attack!]

[Ethereal Form has been activated. This will protect you from physical attacks and increase the damage you receive from magic for five seconds. Your Health will also be fully restored to 100%.]

Broken's body was engulfed in a breathtaking burst of silver energy, and he swiftly rose to his feet as his Health quickly replenished. He appeared to be cloaked in a dazzling silver aura.

"What the heck just happened?" the player killers exclaimed as they rushed towards Broken and formed a circle around him once again. Meanwhile, Polly stood by Broken's side, ready to defend him.

"Stop the fighting!"

But unbeknownst to them, a group of ten royal troops had silently surrounded them from all directions, their spears pointed at both the player killers and Broken. 

"Drop your weapons! You are under arrest for violating the peace of the Dissidia Kingdom."

The greatsword man, seeing the royal troops, hesitated but then threw his weapon to the ground. The other player killers followed suit, knowing they were outmatched.

"He is the player killer! He killed one of our team members!"

The man with the greatsword pointed directly at Broken. With his orange gamer name clearly visible, there was no way he could deny the accusation.

"They attacked me first!" Broken defended himself. "I killed one of them because they forced me to."

"Capture him!" the Knight Commander ordered.

However, a woman with long red hair and her hand on her sword hilt emerged from the ranks. She fixed her gaze on Broken.

"Stop, please," she commanded.

"Your Highness, we have discovered the culprit. This player is responsible for killing one of them," the knight reported.

Princess Alora stood stunned, witnessing the scene before her. A player with a Spirit Beast as majestic as the Nine-Tailed Fox, a high-grade spirit beast with immense potential, was rare. Additionally, the player was enveloped in an aura that accelerated his health regeneration, unmistakably the Ethereal Form.

"Your Highness, we await your command," the knight repeated.

The greatsword man added, "Your Highness, we were hunting nearby, but he attacked us. He's a notorious player killer who has caused much chaos in this region."

Recognizing the figure before him, Broken bowed slightly towards Princess Alora.

"Your Highness, Princess Alora, allow me to explain. What they're saying isn't true. I'm just a low-level player. How could I possibly take on six players of their higher level?"

"Lies! He couldn't have killed one of us if he were a low-level player. His level must be around 100!" they retorted.