Chapter 602 Chapter575-Natasha's Quick Thinking
After Shatras unlocked all the seals on the divine scrolls containing oceanic spells, the Abyssal Fearmonger seemed to be overwhelmed by the potent force of the water element.
The numerous curse-filled eyes on the Abyssal Fearmonger's body all opened simultaneously.
The curse power released from these eyes inflicted severe damage on Shatras, as well as on Duke Arsena and Natasha, who were not far away.
Duke Arsena, having already exhausted his power to unleash a divine protective spell, was immobilized by the curses.
"I can't go on any further; you must proceed alone to find John. Only by finding John can we ensure our safety! If John can't come to our aid, we'll have no way to escape the Dark Realm!"
Duke Arsena expressed this with a hint of regret, realizing the mission might not have been thoroughly planned.
He had assumed the dangers in the Dark Realm would only amount to facing a couple of Devils at most and had not anticipated encountering even more formidable Devils.
As the lord of Storm City and a high-ranking Paladin of the Northern Myst Empire, Duke Arsena felt that his failure to anticipate all possible contingencies was a severe dereliction of duty.
Therefore, he hoped to ensure Natasha's temporary safety.
As long as Natasha could escape danger, there would be a chance for her to find John.
Natasha glanced back at Duke Arsena, her feelings incredibly mixed.
Of course, she had hoped Shatras's attack would succeed. However, the current situation seemed to indicate that Shatras's assault had not been very effective.
The Abyssal Fearmonger was not only unaffected by the divine scroll used by Shatras but had launched an even more potent attack in response.
Duke Arsena was no longer able to continue with her, which meant Natasha would have to face any upcoming dangers alone.
Although Natasha had encountered many dangers before and had dealt with numerous challenging foes on her own, navigating the Dark Realm alone was somewhat beyond her capabilities.
"Don't lose hope yet! I can use the divine scroll I possess to help you recover a bit. I don't think the Abyssal Fearmonger will pursue us any further. It should now be preoccupied with Shatras's attack. Although Shatras's assault didn't achieve the desired effect, the Abyssal Fearmonger has been provoked. We should be able to take advantage of this moment, while the Abyssal Fearmonger is distracted, to quickly escape our current predicament."
Although Natasha felt that Duke Arsena might not be able to offer much assistance, as the Guard General of the Northern Myst Empire, she wasn't one to easily abandon an ally.
She hoped to use the extra divine scrolls she carried to help Duke Arsena recover to his optimal state as quickly as possible.
Natasha pulled out a divine scroll of the Holy Light spell from her backpack.
This divine scroll wasn't provided by someone else; Natasha hadn't disclosed to others that she was carrying additional divine scrolls.
In her view, neither Shatras nor John were entirely trustworthy.
The only person she could fully rely on as the Guard General of the Northern Myst Empire was Duke Arsena.
With Natasha's aid, Duke Arsena was freed from the negative effects of the curse.
However, the next course of action for the two was not entirely clear to Duke Arsena.
He felt somewhat overwhelmed, realizing the insignificance of their power when faced with Devils.
Duke Arsena's expression of confusion and uncertainty led to a slight disappointment in Natasha.
However, it seemed that Natasha had reached a critical moment.
She needed to come up with a solution quickly. After pondering for a while, she finally thought of a plan.
"Why don't we use the divine scrolls of spatial spells we have to teleport directly to the teleportation point in the Dark Realm? There, we might find a way back to Storm City."
Natasha's suggestion made Duke Arsena's expression turn incredulous.
If they were to do this, it would mean they were no longer planning to assist Shatras and John.
John, being an adventurer, could be easily abandoned.
Neither Arsena nor Natasha felt that leaving John behind would pose any additional threat to them.
However, abandoning Shatras, a Legendary Magus of the Naga tribe, was not so simple.
If they were to leave Shatras behind in the midst of the battle in the Dark Realm, they would no longer be able to cooperate with the Naga tribe afterward.
The Naga Queen would undoubtedly be furious, potentially turning the Northern Myst Empire and the Naga tribe into mortal enemies.
Such a situation would make it impossible for Storm City to continue its defense.
Duke Arsena immediately objected, "We cannot abandon our allies. John and Shatras ventured into the Dark Realm and risked their lives precisely to help us resolve the crisis in Storm City. If we truly abandon them now, wouldn't that mean we're breaking our promise? Do you think anyone would be willing to help us after that?"
Duke Arsena's barrage of rhetorical questions left Natasha unsure of how to respond.
However, she knew that they couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Without intending to prolong the debate with Duke Arsena, Natasha decided to act. She grabbed Duke Arsena and used a god-tier spell scroll to teleport them directly.
The two of them were transported to the vicinity of the Dark Realm's teleportation point, only to discover that it had been completely sealed off.
"I told you not to take such action! You didn't heed my advice, and you even dragged me here with you! We must return to the Abyssal Fearmonger as soon as possible. We have to do everything in our power to assist our allies. Even if we ultimately fail to defeat the Devils in the Dark Realm, at least we can say we tried our best."
Duke Arsena was understandably furious.
As a Paladin, he believed in fighting to the end, and being forcibly removed from the battlefield by Natasha greatly angered him.
He was unwilling to abandon his allies, especially when they were engaged in a difficult battle.
However, Natasha didn't take Duke Arsena's anger to heart.
Instead, she was carefully observing their surroundings, noticing traces that seemed all too familiar.
Approaching the periphery of the Dark Realm's teleportation point, Natasha spotted a mystic arcane mark, immediately recognizing it as belonging to the Mystery Protector.
Realizing that the Mystery Protector had been here, Natasha's expression changed dramatically, sensing that something was amiss.
"Come here and see if this is the Mystery Protector's spell," she called out.
At Natasha's words, Duke Arsena's expression turned to one of surprise.
He quickly joined Natasha and confirmed that the spell indeed belonged to the Mystery Protector.
Both Arsena and Natasha knew that the Mystery Protector had never been to the Dark Realm before.
The emerging evidence hinted at a possible alliance between the Mystery Protector and the nefarious Dark Faction, a troubling development that could have far-reaching implications.
Furthermore, this uneasy alliance suggested that the Dark Faction might be strategically leveraging their expedition into the foreboding depths of the Dark Realm.
This maneuver could very well serve as a cunning pretext for orchestrating a renewed assault on Storm City, exploiting the chaos to further their dark ambitions and unsettle the precarious balance of power.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Duke Arsena's expression turned to one of sheer panic.
He set aside his previous complaints against Natasha and urgently said to her, "Storm City is facing a tremendous threat; we must rush back immediately! If the Mystery Protector has indeed sided with the Dark Faction, Storm City will surely come under attack again!"
Duke Arsena no longer opposed Natasha's plan. In his view, the safety of Storm City was of paramount importance.
If protecting Storm City meant abandoning John and Shatras, he would do so without hesitation.
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