It was a brutal journey. Every gust of wind, every crashing wave, every second perched on Polly or half-floating through salt-heavy water had chipped away at Broken's patience and energy.
By the end, he was miserable.
"Never again," he muttered through gritted teeth.
He swore to himself: next time, he'd craft a golem submarine—something small, personal, and just capable enough to dive through the ocean without exhausting him like this. Even if it only carried one person, that would be better than this madness.
He was half-laughing, half-crying from relief when he finally, finally, reached the gates of Queen Nerisa's kingdom.
But this time, something had changed.
The merfolk didn't just eye him with cool detachment. They waved, warmly. A few even approached him directly, offering gifts—simple necklaces, pieces of armor shaped like sea creatures. The stats were… meh. But the designs? Intricate. Almost ceremonial.
The kingdom itself had also transformed.
