Chapter 412 412-Spectators of the Battle
At the same time as Darklord obtained the Mysterious Wand, Adam had just finished recounting his experiences to John and Blue Sea.
"So, what are we waiting for here? Let's hurry up and find Darklord! I've always known he's no good. Although he didn't side with Kingserp and Karthus before, he's always been hostile towards us," Blue Sea said, standing up and speaking loudly after hearing Adam's story.
His impression of Darklord was notably poor.
This wasn't just because of previous conflicts with Darklord over guild rankings.
More importantly, Darklord's guild had been competing fiercely with Blue Sea's guild for Achievement Points from the Naga tribe.
John's calm analysis highlighted the importance of proceeding cautiously.
If Darklord had indeed aligned himself with the mysterious forces and gained substantial aid, it was vital to assess his current strength before taking any action.
John pointed out that if Darklord's power had reached the level of Ethereal Seer, then aside from himself, neither Blue Sea nor Adam stood much chance against Darklord.
Achievement Points were crucial for all players, especially for guilds.
Guilds with higher Achievement Points had more opportunities to enhance their strength, while those with fewer points had limited options.
The competition for Achievement Points among major guilds was intense, as smaller guilds often didn't qualify to compete in this arena.
"We need to gather more information," John continued.
"We can't underestimate Darklord, especially if he's acquired new powers or artifacts from the Mystery. Our strategy must be based on a thorough understanding of his capabilities and the potential risks involved."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Blue Sea and Adam agreed with John's approach.
They knew that a direct confrontation without adequate preparation could lead to disastrous consequences.
The trio decided to first gather intelligence on Darklord's current status and capabilities before planning their next move.
John was acutely aware of the need for caution in dealing with Darklord, particularly now that he might be collaborating with the forces of Mystery.
Acting hastily could lead them into another trap like the one they encountered at Karen Port, a situation John was keen to avoid.
He had used all his trump cards to finally defeat Ethereal Seer at Karen Port, and he knew that if Enigmatic Saint's projection had intervened, he would have been defenseless.
Following John's line of thought, Adam added, "I agree with John. Darklord could certainly receive substantial help from Mystery. If his strength has increased significantly, we will likely hear about it soon. Let's plan to meet the day before the next auction to decide our actions for the auction day. I think Darklord will attend the next auction too."
Adam's suggestion to strategize for the upcoming auction was based on the hope of at least countering Darklord.
At the auction, they could apply pressure on Darklord's guild as a form of retaliation.
John, however, did not immediately agree with Adam's proposal.
He vividly remembered the events of the last auction and was cautious about repeating a similar scenario without a well-considered plan.
John, aware of the potential for conflict among the top ten guilds' leaders at the last auction, even without the unexpected appearance of AGHHO's assassins, preferred not to get entangled in their disputes.
As an independent player, his goal was to collaborate with all the major guilds, except those aligned with the Dark Faction.
"I'll continue to investigate clues related to Mystery. With about two weeks until the next auction, you both can use this time to gather information related to Enigmatic Saint. If you find anything about Darklord, please inform me as soon as possible. I'll do the same if I come across any pertinent information about him. As for whether we should take action during the next auction, let's consider it carefully. Like Adam suggested, we'll discuss this in detail the day before the auction," John concluded, setting the strategy for their next steps.
John planned to spend a day or two recuperating and then pursue leads on Enigmatic Saint and Darklord.
Adam and Blue Sea ultimately agreed with John's approach, acknowledging that their strength paled in comparison to his.
Since John preferred a cautious approach, Adam and Blue Sea naturally inclined towards the same.
After ensuring that there were no dangers left in Karen Port, they parted ways.
John returned to his residence in Storm City and logged out of the game.
Once out of the game, John ordered some takeout and took a relaxing bath while waiting for his food.
Although the gaming pod provided sufficient nutrition, John enjoyed real food and felt he had spent too much time in the Godslayer game recently.
After his bath, just as he was starting to eat his takeout, John browsed the game forums.
The latest updates on the forum were all about Karen Port.
The actions of John, Adam, and Blue Sea had eventually been noticed by other players.
"It seems I need to be even more careful next time. Have I been too conspicuous lately? Everyone seems to be paying a lot of attention to my actions," John mused to himself.
Although there were many forum posts about Karen Port, most of them lacked detailed information about what had actually happened there.
This lack of clarity meant that while players were aware of their presence and activities, the specifics of their actions and strategies remained largely unknown.
Recognizing the importance of caution, John, Adam, and Blue Sea each decided to pursue a more prudent course of action.
After confirming there were no further dangers in Karen Port, they went their separate ways. John returned to his residence in Storm City and logged out of the game.
Once out of the game, John ordered some takeout and took a refreshing bath while waiting for his meal.
Despite the nutritional sufficiency provided by the Game Chamber, he enjoyed indulging in real food, feeling he had spent a considerable amount of time in the Godslayer game.
After his bath, as he began eating his takeout, John browsed through the game forums.
The latest updates were all related to Karen Port.
The actions of John, Adam, and Blue Sea at Karen Port had eventually come to the attention of other players.
"It seems I'll need to be even more cautious next time. Have I been too conspicuous recently? It appears that every player is now keenly following my moves," John thought, reflecting on the need for discretion.
Although there were numerous forum posts about Karen Port, most didn't provide clear details about what had transpired there.
Many posts were from players in the main cities near Karen Port who had heard the commotion and shared what little they knew on the forums.
John found the forum threads somewhat uninteresting after a while, as they were filled with speculative guesses and lacked the concrete information he was seeking.
As he continued scrolling through the posts, planning to go to sleep after checking them all, a peculiar post caught his eye.
[Front Row Sale of Crystal Fruit!]
[50 copper coins for one Crystal Fruit, bulk discounts available! Hurry up, brothers and sisters! Crystal Fruit can be added to various recipes, significantly enhancing the effects of your supplies.]
It was a post about selling Crystal Fruits, and most of the replies were mocking the seller.
Crystal Fruit, commonly found along the coastlines around Sunset Mountain, was a regular gathering item in the game.
While it could be added to supply recipes, its enhancement effect was minimal. At 50 copper coins per Crystal Fruit, the price was exorbitantly high.
[Seriously, are you kidding? Do you think there are new players on this forum?]
[Even new players wouldn't spend 50 copper coins on a Crystal Fruit! There are better ways to spend that money.]
[Let's keep this post visible. Everyone should see that someone here is taking us all for fools!]
After reading all the responses, John sent a private message to the post's author.
[I'll buy all the Crystal Fruits you have!]
John's decision to buy all the Crystal Fruits stemmed from noticing in the post that these fruits were a variety found around Karen Port, which piqued his interest.
The unique characteristic of Crystal Fruits from Karen Port, as opposed to those from other coastlines, was the presence of blue stripes on them.
The only place near Karen Port where one could obtain a large quantity of these fruits at once was Gloomy Forest, located to the north of the port.
John deduced from the timing of the post that the person who gathered these Crystal Fruits must have been in the area around the same time he was battling in Karen Port.
This realization led John to suspect that the poster might have knowledge about the battle at Karen Port.
The fact that they chose not to share this information publicly suggested there were reasons behind their silence.
John needed to uncover these reasons and determine whether the poster knew the identities of the parties involved in the Karen Port battle.
After waiting about fifteen minutes, the poster finally replied to John's message:
[Really?! Are you seriously going to buy all the Crystal Fruits? If so, I can give you a 20% discount! Each Crystal Fruit will only cost 40 copper coins then!]
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