Chapter 456 Chapter456-No Regrets
The man in black hesitated visibly when confronted with John's question about the Mystery Saint.
It seemed he did indeed know something relevant but was reluctant to share this information with John.
Noticing the hesitation, John pressed on: "I really don't understand why you people from the Dark Faction would want to conceal information about the Mystery Saint. From my perspective, the Mystery Faction and your Dark Faction should be adversaries, right?"
John's words finally elicited a faint smile from the man in black, who now believed John lacked sufficient information and had made a significant error in judgment.
"How do you know that the Mystery Saint and the Dark Faction are not allies? Have you met the Mystery Saint personally? Or did a prophet sent by them tell you these things?"
Facing the man in black's counter-question, John maintained his smile, fully aware that this was a tactic to gauge how much he really knew.
The man in black could use John's response to determine what information he needed to reveal to satisfy John's demands.
Naturally, John was determined not to let the man in black's plan succeed.
So John spoke bluntly, "Right now, I'm the one asking questions, not you. You don't have much time left, and my patience is wearing thin. You should be well aware that, aside from me, nobody else wants to talk about cooperation with you. The Duke standing beside me would rather seal you away. He doesn't even want to give you a chance to return to the Dark Realm. Do you really want to end up sealed away like Shadow?"
John's direct threat made the man in black realize he indeed had to reveal some crucial information.
After a moment of hesitation, the man in black slowly spoke to John.
"I do know some information related to the Mystery Saint. There are two pieces of information I can share with you, both of which should satisfy you."
At this point, John interrupted him, "I've already told you, whether or not the information satisfies me is for me to decide, not you."
John's stance was resolute.
He couldn't allow his opponent to take control of the situation.
With the upper hand in this scenario, he was determined to maintain the initiative.
As the man in black continued, Duke Arsena, who was listening to the conversation between John and the man in black, gleaned additional information.
At the very least, he now understood that John was highly interested in the Mystery Faction.
"The first piece of information I can provide is that the Mystery Saint has begun to revive, drawing immense power from the Mystery itself. This power is so vast that it has even started to affect our Dark Realm," the man in black revealed, then carefully watched John's face, hoping to gauge his reaction to this news.
However, to the man in black's disappointment, John's expression remained unchanged, as if he already knew about this information.
Realizing he needed to disclose something more significant to satisfy John, the man in black continued.
"The second piece of information about the Mystery Saint is that many in your Order Faction are collaborating with the powers of Mystery. Some of them are even high-ranking members of the Northern Myst Empire. Duke Arsena would surely be shocked by this revelation, wouldn't he?"
After saying this, the man in black turned his gaze to Duke Arsena, who indeed looked utterly astonished.
For Duke Arsena, it was perplexing to consider why the high-ranking officials of the Northern Myst Empire, already endowed with immense power and high status, would choose to collaborate with the Mystery Faction.
What rewards could the Mystery Saint possibly offer to these elites of the Northern Myst Empire? These questions lingered in Duke Arsena's mind.
The man in black shifted his gaze from Duke Arsena back to John.
John's expression remained calm, as he too was already aware of this information.
The man in black didn't continue further, believing the information he had shared should suffice for John.
However, after a brief pause, John softly retorted, "Is that all the information you have? Neither piece of information you've shared is significant to me. I'm quite unsatisfied with what you've told me."
The man in black was taken aback, not expecting John to already be aware of these details.
He could sense John's growing intent to kill and knew very well that if he didn't provide more substantial information, John would certainly collaborate with Duke Arsena to seal him away completely.
"I have one more piece of information to offer, and after this, I will have nothing left to tell you," the man in black finally conceded, choosing to provide John with more information.
He wasn't afraid of being eliminated by John, as he could return to the Dark Realm even if destroyed.
His greatest fear was being sealed away by John, as escaping from such a seal was uncertain and could take an indeterminate amount of time.
"The Mystery Faction is also planning an attack on Storm City. However, we don't know exactly when they will strike or the strength of their forces. We only know that they are likely to attack soon."
The man in black believed this information was crucial, something that would undoubtedly satisfy both John and Duke Arsena.
Upon hearing this, Duke Arsena looked extremely worried.
He hadn't anticipated that Storm City, after facing an attack from the Dark Faction, would soon have to confront an onslaught from the Mystery Faction.
"Why do you know this? Is the Mystery Faction planning to collaborate with you?" Duke Arsena directly questioned the man in black.
Shaking his head, the man in black was reluctant to speak to Duke Arsena.
He knew that John was the one with the real decision-making power; convincing John to let him go was his only objective.
John remained composed.
The last piece of information provided by the man in black was indeed crucial for him; ensuring Storm City's safety was a prerequisite to completing his hidden quest.
After a moment of silence, John nodded, "The information you've provided is indeed satisfactory. I will give you a fitting response."
The man in black felt a glimmer of hope at John's response, believing he might finally be able to leave.
However, John unexpectedly launched an attack on the man in black.
Prepared for such a turn of events, the man in black planned to eliminate Blue Sea and Adam, thinking a mutual defeat was better than a unilateral loss.
But his plan failed.
He suddenly found himself sealed in place by John, rendered incapable of any action.
"Did you really think I wanted to cooperate with you?
Did you really believe that while negotiating with you, I hadn't taken any other measures?
Let me tell you, I had planned to seal you away all along.
I just couldn't ensure the safety of my allies when you still had the power to fight back.
But now, with the information you've provided and your reduced capability to retaliate, I can safely seal you without risking my allies' safety.
You've played your part, and now you'll be confined, unable to cause any more harm."
John's strategic maneuvering had effectively neutralized the man in black's threat, ensuring the safety of both his mission and his allies.
Facing this situation with despair, the man in black still chose to confront John, intending to make him regret his decision.
"You will deeply regret this action! You have no idea how much information about the Mystery Faction I possess. The information I've shared with you is essentially worthless. If you let me go, I can provide you with much more significant details about the Mystery Faction. I could even tell you how to summon the Mystery Saint."
However, John's decision remained unchanged.
He didn't believe a word the man in black said, convinced that he would never disclose any truth to him.
John felt that to obtain reliable information about the Mystery Saint, he and his allies would have to gather it themselves.
He couldn't trust any information related to the Mystery Faction coming from others.
As the man in black was engulfed in despair, Duke Arsena stepped forward to seal him.
John had skillfully navigated the situation, securing the safety of his allies and preventing the man in black from causing further harm.
The man in black's attempts at manipulation had failed, and he was now left to face the consequences of his actions, sealed away by Duke Arsena.
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