Chapter 530 -Patiently Awaiting the Right Moment
John, still harboring some doubts, didn't provide a straightforward answer. Instead, he inquired of Drill Sergeant Betack, "Why does Duke Arsena know that I'm working on a hidden quest? Does this mean Duke Arsena hasn't always trusted me? Was he closely monitoring my every move? I'm starting to think that my previous trust in Duke Arsena was a bit too naive."
John hoped to test Drill Sergeant Betack through this line of questioning, aiming to glean more information from him. However, Drill Sergeant Betack was already familiar with John's style of operation. He didn't provide any additional useful information and simply reiterated the message Duke Arsena had sent with him.
After confirming that Drill Sergeant Betack hadn't learned any additional information, John directly stated, "I won't be leaving Storm City in the next few days because I need to find some clues in the Great Library. As for the rewards Duke Arsena mentioned, I don't expect much, considering he hasn't fulfilled the rewards he promised me before. I've already saved Storm City several times.". In the latter part of his statement, John was subtly expressing some dissatisfaction. However, Drill Sergeant Betack didn't pay much attention to John's complaints. He simply nodded and left.
After Drill Sergeant Betack left, John opened his communication channel. He felt the need to make the dangerous situation in Storm City clear to others.
"Storm City is about to come under attack. Emma and SkyStars, you both should avoid coming to Storm City for the time being. Adam and Blue Sea, the two of you must stay within Storm City. Your strength is formidable and you can provide assistance in combat. You must also instruct members of your respective guilds to quickly gather information related to the Dark Faction and Mystery Faction."
After sending out the message, John remained in the Great Library. He began searching for clues related to Mystery Saint within the Great Library. During his search, he also paid attention to information about the Naga tribe and the Ocean Sages. He believed that there must be a close connection among these three entities.
He didn't believe that the Ocean Sages were merely cooperating with Mystery Saint to ensure their own safety. It was evident that the Ocean Sages and the Naga tribe had a secretive alliance. Perhaps the assistance provided by the Naga Queen earlier was solely to ensure the safety of the Ocean Sages. John realized that he still had very limited information at his disposal.
For the next three to four days, John remained within the Great Library, engrossed in his reading, paying little attention to the outside world. It wasn't until a novice magus from the Great Library hurriedly found him that John decided it was time to take action.
"Lord John, the Duke urgently requests your presence at his palace! I don't have information on the item's whereabouts, but I've learned that the Defend Wall at Sunset Mountain is under attack by the Dark Faction once again," the novice magus said with a tense expression. If it were only the Defend Wall under attack, the novice magus wouldn't be this nervous. The situation was evidently far more serious than what the novice magus had conveyed.
John nodded and placed the book he held back on the shelf. Then, he teleported directly to Duke Arsena's palace. Inside the palace's hall, several people were present, aside from John.
Upon John's arrival, Mystery Protector's expression remained unchanged, and he seemed not to even cast a glance in John's direction. On the other hand, Guard General Natasha, standing next to Mystery Protector, gave John a brief look and even offered a faint smile. Natasha didn't seem as hostile towards John as Mystery Protector did.
Apart from the two formidable figures from the Northern Myst Empire, the hall was filled with many Storm City guard captains who were discussing the upcoming defense plans.
Duke Arsena remained with a furrowed brow, listening to his subordinates discussing defense plans. At first, he hadn't even noticed John's arrival. It wasn't until John walked to the center of the hall and inquired, "I heard that the Dark Faction has finally launched an attack. How is the situation now?"
Duke Arsena raised his head and scrutinized John from head to toe. He still couldn't be certain whether John would provide assistance.
"The Dark Faction not only launched an attack on the Defend Wall, but I've also received information from the Naga tribe that they've been targeted by the Dark Faction as well. The Naga tribe won't be able to assist us in the near future," Duke Arsena explained.
John didn't show any immediate reaction to Duke Arsena's statement. He believed that the Dark Faction's actions this time had likely been planned for a long time, and their strategy was undoubtedly well-thought-out. Therefore, the attack on the Naga tribe was a plausible scenario. He was waiting for Duke Arsena to continue, as he didn't assume that the Duke hadn't prepared a response plan for what came next.
Indeed, after Duke Arsena summarized the current situation, he outlined his plan, "I've decided to have Mystery Protector support the Defend Wall. Meanwhile, I will remain in Storm City with Guard General Natasha and you. I believe the Dark Faction's attack on the Defend Wall is likely a diversion. Their intention is to lure away all of our skilled individuals and then launch an attack on Storm City. For us, defending Storm City is of utmost importance. Even if we have to abandon the Defend Wall, we absolutely cannot forsake Storm City."
Duke Arsena's words raised a sense of unease in John. While Storm City was indeed under Duke Arsena's jurisdiction, it didn't seem to warrant this level of importance. Considering the hidden quest John had acquired, he believed that Storm City's significance must be closely related to its secrets.
"I don't object. Let's quickly make our way to the walls of Storm City. After all, if the enemy intends to attack Storm City, they'll first have to breach its defenses," John agreed with Duke Arsena's plan. In his view, as long as he could keep Mystery Protector away and not pose a threat to him, it was acceptable.
Since John had agreed to Duke Arsena's plan, the others had no objections. After a nod from Mystery Protector, he teleported away. Duke Arsena decided to stay on the eastern wall of Storm City, while John headed to the western wall, and Natasha remained on the northern wall.
The southern side of Storm City was not an easy target for attack, as it led directly to the harbor where the Ocean Sages resided and the Naga tribe's territory.
The Ocean Sages had previously agreed to provide assistance to the Northern Myst Empire if Storm City came under attack. While Duke Arsena didn't entirely trust the Ocean Sages, he did trust John and the Naga Queen. Since both John and the Naga Queen had placed their trust in the Ocean Sages, Duke Arsena believed that, under such immense pressure, cooperation with the Ocean Sages was possible. After all the plans were set, the formidable individuals within Storm City immediately went into action.
Upon arriving at the western wall, John shared Duke Arsena's plan with Adam and Blue Sea. In a matter of minutes, Adam and Blue Sea were already at the western wall.
"Are you both willing to help me defend the western wall? With your assistance, I believe we won't have any issues with this side of the wall. What I'm most concerned about now is the possibility of defenses breaking on the other two sides of the city walls. After all, Duke Arsena's strength alone is not sufficient, and I don't trust Natasha entirely," John explained.
Although Natasha hadn't shown direct hostility towards John, during their previous battle to release the Ocean Sages from their seal, Natasha's attacks had been the deadliest. In that battle, Natasha had clearly aimed to eliminate John. John was certain of this, which was why he still didn't fully trust Natasha.
Upon receiving this information, Adam and Blue Sea took immediate action as well. They ensured that members of their guild were ready to support the western wall at a moment's notice. As long as they could defend the western wall, John could then move to support other areas, ensuring the safety of Storm City.
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