Chapter 415 Chapter415-Mutual Machinations
John's expression remained unchanged in the face of Darklord's deliberate provocation.
He responded coolly, "Your intelligence seems as low as ever. You don't really think you can deceive me with such tactics, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Darklord's face twisted into an even more ferocious expression.
He retorted vehemently, "If that's the case, let's settle this outside the Naga Tribe, once and for all. I will not lose to you."
As he spoke of a final showdown, Darklord deliberately flaunted the Mysterious wand in his hand.
Although John was unaware of the specific attributes of the Mysterious wand, he could tell it possessed formidable power.
"No problem at all, let's leave this place right now," John said, fixing his gaze on Darklord.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Darklord had initially hoped his words would intimidate John into backing down.
Though he had outwardly appeared confident, inwardly, Darklord was uncertain whether he could use the Mysterious wand to defeat John.
Seeing Darklord motionless, John couldn't help but reveal a hint of a mocking smile, "What's the matter? Are you scared?"
"Scared? What a joke. How could I possibly be afraid of you?"
Darklord shot back.
"Don't forget, when the Godslayer Game first launched, I was the one who successfully trapped you inside the Godslayer Temple. Had it not been for your sheer luck, you would never have been able to escape. If that were the case, you wouldn't even have the right to speak to me here."
The mention of the Godslayer Temple made John's smile grow even brighter.
He was well aware that his imprisonment there was a result of Darklord's machinations, but without that experience, he wouldn't have gained the unique [Godslayer] trait.
"After all this talk, what exactly do you want to do?"
John inquired.
"We can't fight here in the marketplace of the Naga Tribe. If you really want to have a showdown, then let's head outside the Naga Tribe now. If you think you can keep hiding in the Naga Tribe, you're being naive. I can tell you that the Naga Tribe expels all outsiders when night falls. Staying here any longer is of no benefit to you."
John wanted Darklord to understand that hiding in the Naga Tribe was not a viable long-term strategy.
Sooner or later, Darklord would have to face him in a decisive battle.
Darklord's lips twitched slightly, betraying his internal conflict.
Yet, he knew he couldn't afford to appear weak in terms of morale.
"You don't really think my hesitation is about avoiding you, do you? Since you're so eager for a battle, let's have it then!"
After saying this, Darklord strode towards the entrance of the Naga Tribe, with John following closely behind.
As they both arrived at the archway leading into the tribe, their simultaneous appearance piqued the curiosity of the Naga guards stationed at the entrance.
The two Naga guards glanced at Darklord and John but merely surveyed them briefly.
Their primary quest was to guard the tribe's gate.
Darklord was the first to pass through the archway of the Naga Tribe's entrance.
As he reached the deep sea, he instantly unleashed the power of the Mysterious wand.
A dense black fog emitted from the wand, and under Darklord's control, this fog swiftly sealed off the archway at the entrance of the Naga Tribe.
"John, your luck has run out! You're too na?ve. Did you really think I would just willingly engage in a battle with you? If you want a showdown, go find Mystery for it!"
Darklord exclaimed and then attempted to use a Teleport Spell.
However, to his shock, the spell failed to activate.
Darklord's face registered utter surprise.
As a top player, he had used the Teleport Spell countless times, meaning his proficiency with it was near 100%.
The failure of the spell indicated he had fallen into someone else's trap.
"Did you really think I wouldn't see through your intentions?"
John emerged slowly from behind the archway, looking at Darklord as if he were looking at a fool.
"I knew you would try to outsmart me, so I set a trap at the entrance of the Naga Tribe in advance. If you hadn't used the power of the Mystery to seal the gate, I wouldn't have had a good way to stop you."
John had anticipated that Darklord wouldn't engage in a direct battle with him.
Darklord's first move upon leaving the Naga Tribe was to find a way to disrupt John's actions.
Therefore, John had set a trap at the entrance archway of the Naga Tribe before he even entered.
The trap was designed to immobilize anyone attempting to use the power of Mystery to seal the entrance.
Darklord's anger intensified, and he shouted at John, "All you do is rely on tricks and schemes! Do you dare to face me in an open confrontation? Do you dare to duel with me?"
Although he seemed enraged, Darklord was actually using his anger to mask his panic.
Simultaneously, he threw a duel card.
A duel card, a powerful item in the game, can force another player into a duel. During such a duel, both players are limited to their basic skills and the equipment they carry.
If Darklord's duel card worked, he would be able to free himself from the immobilization.
Ignoring Darklord's thrown duel card, John took out the Crystal Fruit he had obtained from SkyStars and hurled it towards the card.
The Crystal Fruit quickly fused with the seawater, encasing the duel card in a block of ice the moment it made contact.
"Don't bother trying to escape using the duel card. Since I've come to you directly, I've prepared for everything! Let's settle this once and for all!"
John declared, raising his left hand high.
At the tip of his index finger, a formidable Power of Sea God began to gather.
Even the immobilized Darklord could feel the immense power of the skill John was channeling.
In less than two seconds of focused channeling, John unleashed the potent Power of Sea God skill he had acquired: [Abyssal Explosion].
[Abyssal Explosion (Divine Skill)]
[Skill Description: The great Sea God, revered by all marine life, can cause even the deepest waters to shudder with a world-shattering force when angered.]
[Skill Effect: The user unleashes a spell dealing 1700% ice attribute damage based on their magic strength after a brief channeling period, and slows down surrounding characters by 90%. If used in the deep sea, the skill's damage increases by 1700%, and the additional slow effect turns into immobilization.]
A pale blue glow gathered at the tip of John's left index finger, and a massive surge of energy rapidly expanded from his fingertip.
The spread of [Abyssal Explosion] was swift, reaching Darklord in less than half a second.
Darklord, realizing the futility of resistance, knew he couldn't withstand such a powerful attack.
He also understood that John had the capability to prevent him from escaping through death and resurrection.
However, what happened next took both John and Darklord by surprise.
Although [Abyssal Explosion] was immensely powerful, its force was abruptly halted by an invisible barrier as it neared Darklord.
This barrier not only blocked the attack but also reflected the damage back towards John.
Remaining composed in the face of this sudden development, John immediately cast [Abyssal Prison] to slow the rapidly approaching shockwave.
He then activated [Shape-shifting], gaining a significant speed boost, nimbly dodging the rebounding shockwave.
He followed up by throwing a Detection spell towards Darklord.
John knew that Darklord couldn't have countered the attack on his own, suggesting the intervention of a powerful entity from the Mystery faction.
Identifying who this powerful being from the Mystery faction was and understanding why they had suddenly appeared at this location became an immediate priority for John.
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