Chapter 407 407-The Obvious Trap
The fleeing mysterious merchant didn't get far before Blue Sea intercepted him. Faced with Blue Sea blocking his path, the mysterious merchant was both anxious and furious. He spoke to Blue Sea in a tone filled with anger.
"Why are you targeting me? I have no intention of being your enemy! Although I'm just a mysterious merchant, our Materials Union is very powerful.
If you adventurers plan to confront the Materials Union, you will pay a heavy price. Don't you plan to cooperate with the Materials Union in the future?"
In the face of the merchant's interrogation, Blue Sea appeared relaxed and didn't seem inclined to answer any of the merchant's questions. Instead, it was John, who had caught up from behind the merchant, who responded.
"Of course, we have no intention of becoming enemies with the Materials Union. Our presence here is merely to gather some information from you. Aren't the mysterious merchants of the Materials Union here to earn more gold coins?
How does this long-term quest you've posted here benefit your gold coin earnings? I can't see how receiving a fish a day would result in substantial profits for you," John posed questions that were difficult for the mysterious merchant to answer.
After a moment of conflicted thought, the merchant firmly replied, "What does it matter to you?! Let me tell you, if you really intend to eliminate me, you won't succeed. Besides the Materials Union, others are providing me with protection."
The mysterious merchant's reluctance to directly answer John's question slightly displeased him. However, the mention of others providing protection to the merchant hinted at a potential lead.
"Really? Who is providing you with this protection? The fact that you chose to flee immediately upon seeing me suggests that you recognize me.
If you know me, then you should be aware of how powerful I am. I've repelled three of the 72 Devils; do you think there are stronger forces that can protect you?"
John didn't intend to hide his strength, as his primary goal was to extract more information from the mysterious merchant.
Only by convincing the merchant of his formidable power could he potentially cause him to reveal critical information out of nervousness.
Indeed, when John revealed his true strength, the mysterious merchant became visibly frightened.
NPCs like the mysterious merchant are entirely different from adventurers. If an adventurer is eliminated, they can be resurrected through the Godslayer game servers.
Even if an adventurer's account is completely ruined, they have the option to start over with a secondary character.
However, if an NPC like the mysterious merchant is eliminated, resurrection is impossible without divine intervention. In the game, each deity is very cautious about resurrection.
Despite his fear, the mysterious merchant decided to continue bluffing. "You have no idea how powerful the people protecting me are.
Not even the demons of the Dark Realm, or the God of Light, can defeat them. They can draw absolute power from the endless abyss. I've witnessed the power they have acquired! You definitely don't want to face their wrath!"
The merchant's face showed even more panic when he spoke of those who could draw power from the endless abyss than when he had first encountered John.
John sensed that the merchant had revealed important information, so he decided it was time to confront the merchant directly.
"Alright, I understand that the people behind you are very powerful. Just tell me where they are.
Your actions must be aimed at helping them. Now, tell me where they are, and I will deal with them directly.
If you don't tell me their location, I will have to trouble you instead. I don't think it's a difficult choice for you," John asserted.
The mysterious merchant hesitated for a moment, then finally said to John, "Tonight is the night of the full moon.
Go to the harbor of Karen Port on this night of the full moon. There, you will meet the people I mentioned."
After saying this, the merchant seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, believing John would let him go since he had divulged the most important information he knew.
John's expression remained calm as he nodded towards Blue Sea, who was behind the merchant. Blue Sea then unleashed the [Sea God Strike].
Under the immense power of the Sea God Strike, the mysterious merchant was instantly killed. Despite the high level of the mysterious merchant, he was, after all, an NPC with no combat capabilities.
After they had defeated the mysterious merchant, Blue Sea showed some concern. "Do you really think it was the right decision to just eliminate him like that?
He surely had more information he hadn't shared with us. We could have kept him alive to extract more details."
John, however, did not exhibit the same worry as Blue Sea. He believed the mysterious merchant likely didn't possess any additional information, deducing from the merchant's statements that he was merely a bait.
"He couldn't have known more," John asserted. "His existence was solely to lead us to Karen Port's harbor on this full moon night. It's there that we'll likely uncover the vital clues we're seeking."
Blue Sea understood the implications of John's words, but he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. If the mysterious merchant was just a bait, then wouldn't the port of Karen Port be an obvious trap?
"Do we really intend to head to the port of Karen Port, knowing well that a trap might be waiting for us? Shouldn't we make more preparations before we venture there? If we go now, wouldn't it be too risky?" Blue Sea questioned, hoping for a more cautious approach.
However, John's stance was resolute; he saw no need for further preparations. "I don't think spending more time preparing will be of any use.
Don't you feel that all our actions so far have been orchestrated by Enigmatic Saint? I have already experienced Ethereal Seer's power back at Weeping Shore.
If he had truly wanted to, he could have inflicted serious damage on me. But in our battle at Weeping Shore, we only fought to a stalemate. Moreover, he has been leaving us a trail of clues to follow."
Understanding the broader scope of their adversary's strategy, John reflected on the situation.
"If Ethereal Seer has already trapped Adam, it means that this entire series of events was orchestrated to ensure that we head straight to Karen Port's harbor on this night of the full moon.
The enemy has had much more time to prepare than we have. No matter how much more we prepare, it's unlikely that we will ever be as ready as they are.
Our task now is to clear out all the players from Karen Port. I anticipate that the battle at Karen Port's harbor will be extremely intense."
John connected all the information they had gathered, thinking it through.
Since obtaining the Shadowy Path scroll from Kingserp, Enigmatic Saint had been manipulating their movements in various ways.
After much effort, John and his team had finally pinpointed the crucial clue leading them to Karen Port's harbor.
John considered the likelihood of encountering Enigmatic Saint at Karen Port's harbor.
Recognized as a being on par with the 72 Devils, Enigmatic Saint's combat prowess was naturally expected to surpass that of Ethereal Seer.
This meant that a battle between John and Enigmatic Saint would likely have far-reaching consequences.
The collateral damage in Karen Port, especially to the NPCs, was an unavoidable concern. However, John was more worried about other players getting caught in the crossfire.
If these players leaked what they knew, it could lead to unnecessary complications for John.
So far, only John, Adam, and Blue Sea were privy to information about Enigmatic Saint.
John was acutely aware of Enigmatic Saint's ability to manipulate information, which had already proven to be a significant concern.
If the existence of Enigmatic Saint became known to a wider circle of players, they could easily fall under his influence, potentially amplifying Enigmatic Saint's power.
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