Chapter 388 388-Unexpected Reinforcements
The transformation from a typically arrogant robber to a sudden victim of robbery was something Kingserp found difficult to adapt to.
His visage, concealed within the black mist, displayed a chilling and unsettled look, his eyes sharp and sinister.
"So, you're determined to take the Key of the Saint from me today?" Kingserp asked.
Adam, planting his massive silver sword into the ground, replied with a light chuckle, "As I said earlier, just hand over the Key of the Saint, and we'll let you return to the Dark Realm unharmed."
Kingserp sneered, "You two really surprised me. But where do you get the confidence that I'll just give in?"
He abruptly lifted his right hand, revealing the Key of the Saint clutched tightly.
His eyes glinted ominously.
"Here it is. If you want it, you'll have to kill me first. But I wonder if you'll be lucky enough. After all, the equipment dropped upon a player's death is random. Maybe I'll just leave you with some junk?"
His tone was filled with mockery.
Not just him, but the other Dawn Guild members guarding him closely also seemed relieved, understanding their leader's intention.
After all, death in the game was a common occurrence for players, hardly something to be feared.
Adam and Blue Sea fell into deep silence.
They were well aware that Kingserp spoke the truth.
Even if they could defeat Kingserp together, there was no guarantee they'd get the Key of the Saint.
Who knew how many items and equipment Kingserp had in his inventory?
As the standoff continued, John, with his hands behind his back, slowly emerged from the bushes.
"Galewind? So it's you?!" Kingserp was instantly enraged upon seeing John. "I knew it! How could Adam and Blue Sea, guild leaders of their stature, resort to such highway robbery? It's you instigating them. You solo players really have no respect for any gaming rules!"
John raised an eyebrow lightly, his face hidden behind the mask but clearly filled with mockery.
"Gaming rules? It's quite surprising to hear those words from Guild Leader Kingserp... Haven't your Dawn Guild been the ones breaking the rules all these years?"
"How many players have been chased down to level zero just for having a minor scuffle with you? And now you play the law-abiding good guy in front of me?"
The swirling black mist around Kingserp indicated his inner turmoil, but he also knew deep down that he had no moral high ground in this argument.
"So what? Are you, Galewind, some kind of saint?"
Kingserp's voice was chillingly cold.
"I've already said it, the Key of the Saint is not yours to take. At worst, I'll just die and respawn. I'm curious to see if your luck is as incredible as you think."
Kingserp had realized the moment John appeared that escaping death was unlikely.
So, he decided to let go of his reservations, resorting to sarcastic taunts.
John, however, remained unaffected, tilting his head slightly and quietly listening to Kingserp's rants.
After a while, John finally spoke, "Are you so sure that after dying, you'll definitely respawn in the Dark Realm?"
Kingserp, in the midst of his tirade, paused slightly, taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
John glanced at him, his clear eyes seeming to pierce through the heart of the black mist.
Suddenly, he said something unexpected: "You should already be prepared to instantly teleport the item, right? Using this strange black mist as cover, silently, indeed no one would notice."
"But why don't you try breaking the teleport item and see if you can really leave Crosswind Valley…"
Adam and Blue Sea instantly tensed up, gripping their weapons tighter.
They hadn't expected Kingserp's grand speech, which portrayed him ready for a desperate fight, was just a facade for his planned secret escape.
Having decided to join forces with John to seize the Key of the Saint, Adam and Blue Sea certainly weren't going to let Kingserp slip away easily.
They were ready to strike at any moment but saw John casually wave his hand, signaling them to hold off.
Seeing John's confidence, they didn't immediately act, although they didn't understand what method he had used to restrict Kingserp.
However, their prolonged cooperation had built a blind trust in John's abilities.
Hearing John reveal the truth, Kingserp, shrouded in the black mist, suddenly changed his expression.
But with no other options left, he pressed on, crushing the teleportation item in his hand.
[System Alert: You are within a special space, teleportation items cannot be activated!!]
[System Alert: You are within a special space, teleportation items cannot be activated!!]
[System Alert: You are within a special space, teleportation items cannot be activated!!]
…
The sharp system alerts echoed incessantly in Kingserp's ears.
His face, filled with shock, lifted up, panic finally appearing in his eyes.
"How is this possible?" he exclaimed in disbelief, never having experienced the failure of his last-resort escape method - the instant teleportation item.
The teleportation item he held had been hard-won, obtained in the Dark Realm after much effort.
According to its system description, it could function in any environment, even during combat.
Yet now, it was completely ineffective!
Kingserp looked around in a panic.
Despite scrutinizing the surroundings, he couldn't spot any differences in Crosswind Valley.
It was the same natural passageway he had traversed countless times.
How had it turned into a special space?
Suddenly, Kingserp whipped his head around, fixing a piercing gaze on John. "You're behind this, aren't you? What exactly did you do?!"
John shrugged nonchalantly, chuckling, "Nothing much, just added a little ORDER restriction to this space. All teleportation items are now useless. Don't even think about escaping with that trick…"
Kingserp fell silent. Seeing him lost for words, John flashed a bright smile.
"Now that your teleportation item is gone, your escape plan has one less card. Why not guess whether you'll be able to leave this space and respawn in the Dark Realm after you die?"
Hearing John's somewhat mocking words, Kingserp's complexion grew increasingly pale.
Clearly, John was toying with him.
The ability to unleash such a terrifying skill that directly affects the ORDER level meant that John was utterly confident.
Obviously, Kingserp would likely respawn right on the spot if he died, only to be continuously killed by the trio until the Key of the Saint was relinquished.
Just thinking of such a possibility made Kingserp shudder.
Being cornered and killed over and over again was a despairingly hopeless fate, one he had inflicted on others more than once, making him all too familiar with the pain.
Yet, Kingserp couldn't bear the thought of simply handing over the Key of the Saint.
It was an item he had acquired at a great cost of two hundred and fifty million.
The thought of surrendering it without even getting to fully enjoy it was intolerable!
His mind racing, the psychotic aspect of Kingserp's personality began to dominate his thoughts.
A chilling, sinister laugh echoed from within the black mist: "I'll say it again: if you have the guts, kill me. But thinking you can make me cower without a fight? Impossible!"
John's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly he couldn't help but sigh.
It had to be acknowledged that Kingserp, as the guild leader of Dawn Guild who kept a group of desperadoes and lunatics in line, indeed possessed exceptional qualities.
Leaving everything else aside, just his attitude of fighting to the bitter end was something 99% of players couldn't achieve.
Unfortunately for him, he was up against John himself.
Seeing the other nine core members of Dawn Guild getting into battle formation in front of Kingserp, John merely chuckled lightly, "Well then, it seems we have no choice but to subdue you first…"
Adam and Blue Sea exchanged a glance, understanding that a tough approach was the only option now.
Blue Sea, holding his wand, was ready to cast spells with the surging magical power within him.
Adam gripped his silvery-white greatsword, sacred energy starting to flicker along the blade.
Just as the battle seemed imminent, a voice suddenly sounded from nearby: "What's going on? What happened?"
Everyone looked up to see a group of figures rapidly approaching.
They were dressed in Shadowrealm Guild's uniforms, with their guild leader, Karthus, leading them.
A flash of joy appeared in Kingserp's eyes as he shouted, "Karthus, you're just in time, help me! Galewind and the others are trying to snatch the Key of the Saint!"
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