Chapter 455 Chapter455-United in Interception
Faced with the man in black's attempt to escape, John was determined not to let him succeed.
He immediately gave chase, ready to use all his skills to prevent the man in black from fleeing.
The man in black, transformed into a cloud of black mist, passed through several walls of the Great Library and emerged outside.
Unfortunately for him, he ran straight into Duke Arsena, who had just rushed out of his palace.
Although Duke Arsena hadn't seen the man in black before, he knew well that anyone appearing at this location, other than his allies, was an enemy.
The Duke drew his Silver Sword, emanating powerful Holy Light energy, which dispersed the black mist formed by the man in black.
With no other option, the man in black had to dodge Duke Arsena's attack.
He chose to flee back into the Great Library, but in doing so, he once again encountered John.
"What's the matter? Not running away anymore? If that's the case, are you willing to cooperate with me? Since you so dearly wish for adventurers to join your Dark Faction...
"So surely you wouldn't refuse to join our Order Faction, right? If you're willing to switch sides, I might just help you become stronger," John quipped, fully aware that the man in black would never actually consider joining him.
The man in black was unswervingly loyal to the Dark Realm, and John's words were merely intended to provoke him.
The man in black, who had already managed to escape the Great Library once, chose to return, indicating he had encountered significant danger outside.
Ignoring John's taunt, the man in black pulled a scroll from his pocket, inscribed with a sinister spell.
Without hesitation, he tore the scroll, unleashing a powerful surge of energy.
Even though John was prepared, the impact was immense.
The teaching magi surrounding John were instantly annihilated.
Seizing this opportunity, the man in black dashed towards the lower levels of the Great Library, knowing this might be his only chance to escape.
In the lower levels of the Great Library, the effects of the magical scroll John had used earlier had not completely dissipated.
Everyone there was still frozen in place.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the man in black could easily escape from the first floor of the Great Library, where a teleportation array leading directly to the Dark Realm was situated.
Rushing to the first floor at high speed, the man in black encountered Duke Arsena.
The Duke's face was marked by extreme anger.
Having assessed the situation outside the Great Library, he knew that this fleeing man in black was the main culprit behind all the chaos.
"You will not escape this time! I will utterly destroy you! I can never forgive your audacity to attack Storm City, to invade my territory!"
Duke Arsena declared, channeling all his Holy Light power into a formidable force.
This immense Holy Light, amplified by his White Eye Sword, transformed into a massive blade of energy, hurtling towards the man in black.
The man in black chose not to defend against the attack, knowing full well he couldn't withstand it.
Instead, he quickly moved behind Kingserp, using him as a shield.
Caught in the midst of the chaos, Kingserp, although frozen in place, had regained enough awareness to observe his surroundings.
He was shocked to find himself used as a shield by the man in black.
Regardless of his willingness, Kingserp was powerless to take any other action.
The powerful Holy Light unleashed by Duke Arsena obliterated him completely.
Kingserp didn't even have the chance to utter a word before he found himself in a ghostly state, now needing to quickly resurrect through the game system.
If he didn't resurrect swiftly, John would undoubtedly locate his position.
The situation for the man in black wasn't much better than Kingserp's.
Although he had used Kingserp as a shield, Kingserp's own strength wasn't particularly great.
Kingserp absorbed the brunt of Duke Arsena's attack, but the man in black was also caught in the blast.
His condition was dire.
The man in black decided to muster his courage to confront Duke Arsena head-on, as his return to the Dark Realm necessitated breaking through the Duke's blockade.
As the man in black found himself in a desperate situation, cornered by both John and Duke Arsena on the first floor of the Great Library, he quickly devised a plan.
He decided to take Blue Sea and Adam as hostages, quickly moving to their side.
Addressing John and Duke Arsena, the man in black threatened, "These two must be your allies, right? Don't you care about their safety? If you continue to attack me, I will ensure they are both destroyed. You know I can do it. I'm not bluffing; I am fully prepared to follow through with this threat."
The man in black's threat did have a certain effect on John.
After all, John had collaborated with Blue Sea and Adam for a long time and was keen on ensuring their safety.
However, to Duke Arsena, this threat was meaningless.
He considered Blue Sea and Adam to be merely ordinary adventurers, not worthy of altering his course of action.
In Duke Arsena's eyes, the two adventurers were insignificant.
His sole intent was to eliminate the man in black.
Without any hesitation, Duke Arsena launched another attack on the man in black.
However, John intervened, having devised a better plan.
"Duke Arsena, we cannot attack directly right now. Adam and Blue Sea are among the top adventurers. If you disregard their safety, I doubt any other adventurer will be willing to assist you in the future," John cautioned.
Duke Arsena was initially perplexed by John's words, but he soon calmed down.
He realized that while he could afford to overlook the safety of Adam and Blue Sea, he had to consider John's opinion.
John's strength had already been proven, and Duke Arsena was aware of John's performance at the Sunset Mountain Defense Wall before coming to the Great Library.
He understood that to ensure the safety of Storm City, he must heed John's advice.
As Duke Arsena regained his composure, John turned his attention to the man in black.
With a slight smile, he addressed the man in black: "If you wish to escape, I could indeed let you go. But isn't it a bit impolite to try to secure your release by threatening me? If you want to cooperate with me, you'll have to agree to some conditions. You should be familiar with such arrangements. Didn't you negotiate terms with Kingserp and Karthus when you collaborated with them?"
John's words made the man in black increasingly wary.
From their previous encounter, the man in black had discerned that John was a cunning individual.
Perceiving John's cunning possibly even surpassing his own, the man in black was not about to easily agree to any conditions John proposed.
However, he found himself with few alternatives.
Unable to defeat both John and Duke Arsena, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Tell me your conditions. If I find them acceptable, I will agree," the man in black said.
John's satisfaction grew upon hearing this.
His actual intent was to extract information about the Dark Realm and the Mystery Faction from the man in black.
Thus, he directly inquired, "Do you have any information related to the Mystery Saint? If you can provide me with information about the Mystery Saint, I am willing to let you go. However, the information must be substantial, and its usefulness will be judged by me."
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