Chapter 584 Chapter557-The Evasive Justifications of the Mystery Protector
Faced with John's remarks, Duke Arsena could likely guess what John was implying.
However, in Duke Arsena's view, he indeed hadn't been targeted by the Mystery Protector previously.
"The events that transpired here were not as complex as you might think. After the Dark Faction launched an attack on Storm City, I was naturally under immense pressure.
Besides seeking more allies, I also hoped to gain more assistance from adventurers. So, when a high-level adventurer was willing to offer help, I was naturally inclined to meet with them.
The adventurer you mentioned, who has sided with the Mystery faction—Darklord, met with me in this manner. The moment we met, he launched an attack.
Although I had taken some precautions, his power was simply too overwhelming. Faced with such a powerful assault of Mystery force, I ultimately couldn't prevail.
I was defeated by Darklord and then sealed by him inside the mirror. You should be very clear about what happened afterwards, so there's no need for me to elaborate further."
Duke Arsena's account successfully convinced everyone, as there was no reason for the Duke to lie.
If it had indeed been a trap set by the Mystery Protector, he wouldn't have let the Mystery Protector off so easily.
After hearing Duke Arsena's explanation, John nodded slowly, albeit with a sense of disappointment in his response to the Duke's words.
However, John couldn't just become openly hostile with Duke Arsena, considering he still hoped to gain more assistance within Storm City.
As members of the Order Faction were discussing the recent events, the Mystery Protector teleported to the Storm City teleportation point.
Upon arrival, the Mystery Protector directly asked the members of the Order Faction present, "How did it go? Have you successfully dealt with the threats from the Dark Faction and the Mystery faction?"
The arrival of the Mystery Protector caused a shift in the expressions of everyone present, as opinions about the Mystery Protector varied significantly among them.
Adam and Blue Sea shared John's perspective, considering the Mystery Protector an enemy.
They believed this might be an opportunity to eliminate the Mystery Protector.
Shatras didn't harbor much hostility towards the Mystery Protector but also felt that the Mystery Protector hadn't exerted full effort in the previous battles.
Natasha and Duke Arsena's attitude towards the Mystery Protector was more one of disappointment.
They believed that as a Legend Magus of the Northern Myst Empire, the Mystery Protector should have played a more significant role in the previous battles.
"Why have you only arrived now? You seem to have played a minimal role in the previous battles. Do you actually wish to see Storm City destroyed by the Dark Faction?"
Adam asked the Mystery Protector calmly. Adam posed the question instead of John because, in John's view, the Mystery Protector didn't even deserve to argue with him.
After Adam's inquiry, the others didn't say much, simply waiting for the Mystery Protector's response.
The Mystery Protector was understandably tense.
He knew that if he couldn't perfectly address this question, all members of the Order Faction might become hostile towards him.
Suppressing his inner tension, the Mystery Protector spoke in a somewhat relaxed tone, "I indeed didn't play a significant role in the previous battles. But you should have anticipated such a situation. I suffered a severe injury at the Defend Wall of Sunset Mountain right from the start. I simply didn't have the strength to continue fighting."
"Although I have not yet returned to my optimal condition, I still forced myself to cooperate with the other apprentice magi to eliminate the demons within Storm City. Does this not prove that I have given my all? I indeed did not participate in the battles among the stronger individuals. But it wasn't because I didn't want to! I simply didn't have enough strength. Joining in high-level battles would only lead to my complete destruction and wouldn't have been much help to you."
The Mystery Protector's explanation was clearly evasive.
Everyone could tell that the Mystery Protector was making excuses, but the excuse itself didn't seem to have any significant flaws.
Adam didn't say much more, merely turning his gaze towards John.
In Adam's view, John was the one who could truly decide whether to take action against the Mystery Protector.
John himself was also in a dilemma.
He could sense that the Mystery Protector was likely lying, but he had no way to prove it.
It was evident that Duke Arsena, Natasha, and the others were not inclined to eliminate the Mystery Protector.
If John insisted on taking down the Mystery Protector, he would inevitably become enemies with these two.
After hesitating for a moment, John slowly said, "If that's the case, then naturally, there isn't much of an issue. However, you still need to explain another matter. During my battle with Darklord, I could sense your presence at the top of the Great Library. What I want to know is, what exactly were you doing there?
Were you just observing the battle between me and Darklord? If you truly intended to help Storm City, you should have assisted me in defeating Darklord at that time. Even if you didn't plan to help me, you should have been seeking out other members of the Order Faction. In any case, your presence at the top of the Great Library was just a deliberate delay. Doesn't that mean you have already turned against the Order Faction?"
John's question was challenging for the Mystery Protector to answer.
He certainly couldn't claim John's judgment was incorrect, as everyone was well aware that John's assessments were unlikely to be wrong.
Given John's immense power and the high level of his detection spells, which were the strongest among those present, if John had determined that the person at the top of the Great Library was the Mystery Protector, then it was likely correct.
The Mystery Protector, realizing the situation was highly unfavorable for him, quickly responded, "I indeed was at the top of the Great Library at that time. The reason I didn't assist you is that I was in an even worse condition. You should be well aware that engaging in battle without being fully recovered would only exacerbate any existing injuries.
I didn't provide assistance to other members of the Order Faction because I believed they no longer needed help. The Dark Faction's assault had ultimately failed, and the majority of the Dark Faction's demons had been vanquished.
The remaining demons from the Dark Faction were actually no threat to our Order Faction members. I stayed at the top of the Great Library to keep an eye on Darklord's situation, to ensure he wouldn't pose a threat to others."
This explanation from the Mystery Protector left everyone somewhat dissatisfied.
John himself was also unlikely to accept such an explanation.
However, John didn't directly challenge the Mystery Protector.
To the astonishment of everyone present, John said to the Mystery Protector, "I find your explanation quite reasonable. Given that, I hope we can collaborate in the upcoming battles. You probably won't need too much time to recover to your best condition, right? I expect we can count on your assistance in our actions against the Dark Faction moving forward."
The Mystery Protector was unsure how to respond to John's proposition, as he had only just learned about the Order Faction's plans to take action against the Dark Faction.
The Mystery Protector looked towards the other members of the Order Faction and saw expressions of surprise on their faces as well, indicating that they were also unaware of the plans John was referring to.
"Why was I not informed about our Order Faction's plans to counterattack the Dark Faction? Have we already devised a strategy?" asked the Mystery Protector.
John's inquiry was met with a smile. Shaking his head, John replied, "We haven't finalized all the plans yet, but I believe we shouldn't just be on the defensive. We need to strike back as well!"
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