Chapter 438 438-A Diversionary Tactic
John swiftly went through all the messages in his communication channel.
After a moment of contemplation, he decided to head towards Duke Arsena's palace, believing that the Duke might have more information.
Additionally, helping the Duke could improve his standing with him.
By the time John arrived at the palace, the freezing around the Great Library had largely subsided.
The potent Fire Spell from John's scroll had neutralized the ice spell released by the black box.
Although players and NPCs were affected to varying degrees, they hadn't been annihilated by the ice power.
It seemed that the sudden appearance of the ice power was merely a tactic to buy time.
Upon John's arrival at Duke Arsena's palace, he found the Duke in discussion with his subordinates.
John's entrance immediately drew Arsena's attention.
"You're a bit late. Given your abilities, I expected you sooner. Were you detained by someone?"
Duke Arsena, ever perceptive, understood that someone with John's capabilities should have arrived earlier if he had set out immediately upon receiving the message.
Arsena Duke, after hearing John's account of his experience in the Great Library, looked grim.
His anger was understandable to John; the Great Library was at the heart of Storm City, surrounded by some of the city's most vital areas, including the Duke's palace.
The incident at the library implied a broader threat to the security of the entire city.
"We must investigate and find out who is behind this! Storm City will become increasingly dangerous if we can't identify the mastermind," John agreed with Duke Arsena's urgency to uncover the culprit.
"Duke, do you have any additional information? I can only confirm that the ice spell power spread from the Great Library. As for other details, I'm not aware. As I mentioned earlier, I was trapped in the upper levels of the Library before this. And it seems that the enemy forces have infiltrated Storm City's inner circle. They were able to disguise themselves as NPCs from the Great Library to deceive me. If they had deceived someone else instead of me, you might not have even known about this incident."
John's words made Duke Arsena think of a long-past incident.
He turned his gaze to his chief intelligence officer, possibly considering the implications of John's insight.
The Duke's question visibly unsettled his intelligence chief, revealing a potentially critical oversight.
As the head of intelligence, he should have been the one to inform the Duke of this crucial piece of information – the mysterious disappearance of several assassins within the Great Library, possibly hinting at the presence of enemy operatives long before the recent incident.
The change in the intelligence chief's expression confirmed the Duke's suspicions: "It seems we need to be even more cautious. John, come with me to the Great Library. We need to assess the current situation there."
With this newfound realization, Duke Arsena was ready to act swiftly, wanting to inspect the Great Library alongside John as soon as possible.
However, just as they were about to set off, a Storm City guard burst in, clearly in a state of panic, and even collided with another guard in his haste.
"My lord Duke! There's trouble! The armory has been attacked!"
The guard's message, delivered as he fell to the ground, stunned both Duke Arsena and John.
They exchanged glances, instantly understanding the true nature of the Great Library incident – it was merely a diversion.
The real target of the enemy faction was Storm City's armory.
The armory of Storm City, located on the northern side of the city, was typically heavily guarded.
However, following the unexpected incident at the Great Library, most of the guards from the armory had been redeployed to protect the palace and other critical areas in anticipation of potential attacks by enemy forces.
This redeployment left the armory with minimal defenses.
"We must go now! With our combined strength, we should be able to reach there quickly!"
Duke Arsena said decisively and immediately teleported away using a spell.
John, without any hesitation, followed suit and teleported to the northern area of Storm City.
Upon arriving, John was stunned by the scene before him.
The entire northern area of Storm City lay in ruins.
The armory, once one of the tallest and most imposing structures in the area, was utterly destroyed, its foundations gone.
The enemy's operation had been alarmingly successful.
John and Duke Arsena arrived too late to offer any assistance.
John found it hard to believe the enemy's effectiveness, suspecting that this might even be a joint operation by the Dark Faction and the Mystery forces.
Duke Arsena, standing still beside John, was visibly consumed by rage.
The unexpected events at the Great Library had already infuriated him, but the destruction of Storm City's armory and the entire Northern Area only intensified his anger.
After surveying the situation for a moment, he turned to John, his voice seething with fury.
"We must find those responsible behind this! When I do, I will drown them in my wrath!" Arsena's anger was so palpable that even John felt a twinge of fear. Yet, John knew he was not the object of the Duke's fury.
He nodded in agreement, "I don't think we'll have to wait long. Their attack on Storm City's armory is likely a prelude to further actions."
Duke Arsena didn't disagree.
John's speculation aligned with his own.
The only plausible reason for the enemy faction to attack the armory was to acquire the weapons stored there.
And having obtained these weapons, it was almost certain they would continue their aggressive moves.
"You must be well aware that Storm City is now facing a tremendous crisis. I hope you can stay in the city to ensure its safety in the coming times," Arsena said after a pause, making a direct request to John.
It was clear that the Duke was reluctant to seek help from an adventurer, yet the dire circumstances forced him to set aside his reservations.
As John faced Duke Arsena's second request for assistance in such a short span of time, he readily agreed to help.
His response indicated his commitment to the safety of Storm City and his willingness to collaborate with the Duke in these trying times.
"There's no problem at all, I will stay in Storm City for the foreseeable future. However, my friends, their levels are not very high, and they need to level up," John said, showing concern for his companions.
Duke Arsena quickly interrupted, understanding John's concern, "No problem at all. I'll open the Storm City barracks to them. They can level up there. The training facilities in the barracks can help them level up much faster than other areas. You can tell your friends to come as soon as possible. Consider this a part of my gratitude towards you."
Duke Arsena's decisive action not only acknowledged John's contribution but also provided a solution to John's concern about his friends' safety and progress.
This gesture of goodwill further strengthened the cooperative relationship between John and the Duke.
John decided to invite Emma, SkyStars, and other allies to the Storm City barracks for leveling up.
The barracks offered a secure environment and a faster way to gain experience, addressing the last potential issue John had been concerned about.
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