Chapter 519 -A Dilemma Best Avoided
At the very moment John attempted to unseal Ocean Sage, Mystery Protector, within the palace of Duke Arsena in Storm City, also came face to face with Duke Arsena.
Duke Arsena found Mystery Protector's arrival somewhat peculiar. After all, Mystery Protector had previously informed him of their intention to return to the capital of the Northern Myst Empire.
"Aren't you supposed to be back in the empire's capital already? Why are you here in Storm City now? Did you receive new information suggesting that Storm City is about to face additional danger?" Duke Arsena inquired with a slight smile. At least from Duke Arsena's perspective, Mystery Protector had been quite helpful in the past.
Although there were some conflicts between Mystery Protector and John, putting Duke Arsena in a dilemma, he didn't intend to dwell too much on the matter regardless.
Duke Arsena, of course, hoped to avoid the dilemma of having to make a final choice between John and Mystery Protector. He wished that both individuals could continue to offer their assistance.
In response to Duke Arsena's words, Mystery Protector's expression remained unchanged. He simply tossed a compass onto the table in front of Duke Arsena.
At the moment Duke Arsena saw the compass, his expression turned quite grim. "The seal on Ocean Sage is being tampered with by certain individuals! This is absolutely impossible. The seal we placed on Ocean Sage is exceptionally powerful. Even the Naga Queen wouldn't succeed in breaking it. Moreover, anyone attempting to release the seal on Ocean Sage would be our enemy. The members of the Order Faction would never do such a thing."
Duke Arsena was acutely aware that the compass he had just seen represented the seal on Ocean Sage. What troubled him even more was that he could unmistakably see numerous cracks on the compass.
This meant that the seal on Ocean Sage had already been partially undone, a fact that Duke Arsena found incredibly unbelievable. Members of the Order Faction should not choose to become his enemies, and members of hostile factions would never release the seal on Ocean Sage. No matter what, Ocean Sage would never cooperate with the Dark Faction or the Mystery Faction.
Upon hearing Duke Arsena's words, Mystery Protector couldn't help but smirk. "I may not know why this situation has arisen, but I have a certain suspicion now." he said, pausing for a moment. Arsena seemed to realize something, his eyes widening in surprise.
"You mean to say John is the one trying to break the Ocean Sage's seal? Why would he do that?"
The Mystery Protector shook his head. Although he was as puzzled as Arsena about why John would help the Ocean Sage, he saw this as a prime opportunity. He could use this situation to his advantage, collaborating with other powerful figures from the Northern Myst Empire to eliminate John.
"Regardless, John has become a significant threat to us. We need to act quickly, as it seems that our combined strength might not be enough to eliminate him. Therefore, it's crucial to gain the support of General Natasha. I'll go talk to her as soon as possible. General Natasha will be willing to assist us, for she harbors a deep disdain for all adventurers and wishes to see their eradication. I believe that if we succeed in this operation, General Natasha will hold us in higher regard," Mystery Protector stated.
After conveying his message, Mystery Protector promptly left. He no longer had to worry about Duke Arsena continuing to place his trust in John. After all, Ocean Sage posed a significant threat to Duke Arsena, and if the seal on Ocean Sage was successfully undone, the Duke would be the first to bear the consequences.
After the Mystery Protector's departure, Arsena calmed himself down. He realized he had been somewhat panicked and needed to thoroughly understand the situation. After some thought, he summoned his chief of intelligence. "Take this letter to the adventurer guilds immediately, and make sure no one else finds out. If this information leaks, it could cause us considerable trouble."
Arsena chose not to communicate directly with John, suspecting that John might deceive him. Instead, he decided to speak with Blue Sea and Adam. Arsena knew that John had previously collaborated with Adam and Blue Sea, which implied that they might have some awareness of John's actions.
At the same time Duke Arsena took action, Mystery Protector also directly entered the barracks in Storm City. Among the generals guarding the Northern Myst Empire and one of the mightiest warriors, General Natasha, was overseeing the training of her soldiers in the barracks.
The moment Natasha laid eyes on Mystery Protector, her expression underwent a subtle change. Natasha, being a formidable warrior, didn't hold Legend Magi like Mystery Protector in high regard. In her view, Legend Magi, much like other spellcasters, were not particularly useful in battle. True victory in combat, in her opinion, relied on warriors.
"Your Excellency, Legend Magus, do you have a specific purpose for being here? I must ensure that the combat readiness of my soldiers remains at its peak. After all, you should be well aware of the dire situation the Empire currently faces. Storm City has already endured two attacks before, and I must guarantee it won't face another," Natasha spoke with a slightly impatient tone. She disliked any spellcaster entering the barracks.
In Natasha's view, spellcasters entering the barracks disrupted the training of her soldiers. Mystery Protector could clearly sense Natasha's less-than-enthusiastic attitude towards him, but he didn't let it bother him. He was here solely to seek her cooperation.
"I've come here this time seeking your assistance. You must be quite knowledgeable about Ocean Sage. The seal on Ocean Sage is about to be broken, which means Ocean Sage will soon launch an attack on Storm City," Mystery Protector explained.
As a high-ranking member of the Northern Myst Empire, Natasha indeed had some knowledge about Ocean Sage. She was also well aware that Ocean Sage had previously ruled over the land that now constituted Storm City.
Upon hearing the possibility of the Ocean Sage's seal being broken and the imminent threat to Storm City, Natasha responded decisively to the Mystery Protector.
"Then we must act quickly. Duke Arsena will likely join us in this action. We can discuss the details on our way to the location of the Ocean Sage's seal."
Natasha was known for her swift decision-making. Now that she was aware of the gradual unsealing of the Ocean Sage, immediate action was imperative.
The Mystery Protector took this opportunity to inform Natasha about John. The moment Natasha heard John's name, she recalled the information she had received back in the capital of the Northern Myst Empire.
"Is this John the same person who once defeated a Devil? Has he also been to Karen Port and Iceburg Castle?" Natasha's questions briefly surprised the Mystery Protector, who then nodded affirmatively.
Upon receiving a positive response, a smile finally appeared on Natasha's face. "I've actually been wanting to meet this adventurer named John. His strength is among the very top of all adventurers. And the information we obtained from Iceburg Castle suggests that John has some hostility towards other adventurers. More importantly, at Karen Port, we discovered a projection of the Mystery Saint, which was defeated by John. An adventurer capable of defeating a projection of the Mystery Saint is beyond our expectations.
We need to quickly determine whether he is a friend or a foe. If he is our friend, we can certainly collaborate with him. But if he is our enemy, we must eliminate this threat as soon as possible."
After saying this, Natasha headed straight to the teleportation point in Storm City, intending to proceed directly to the location of the Ocean Sage's seal.
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