After [Deception] left, John let out a long breath. The little bit of sleepiness he had just felt instantly disappeared.
With internal issues unresolved and now an external threat emerging, John felt overwhelmed.
The sudden crisis in Atlantis was urgent, and John couldn't afford to waste much time on Uncle Mac.
What was originally a plan to be carried out slowly now had to be expedited to resolve the trouble quickly.
"Perhaps I should confront Caliban directly. I'll bring along respected figures from the city and tear off the facade.
If it comes to it, I'll just kill him! Uncle Mac made it clear that there was no city lord in Talcavano over a hundred years ago."
With this thought, John narrowed his eyes and returned to the palace.
Initially, he planned to leave in the morning after saying goodbye to Elaria and Lily, but time was of the essence. John left a note and then found Elowen.
He took the monster corpses that Elowen had ordered to be hunted and teleported back to Talcavano.
He arrived at the place he had arranged for Uncle Mac.
Fortunately, Uncle Mac was still awake, seemingly worried about Minefield No. 1. Seeing John return, he quickly sat up and asked, "John, why are you back so late?"
"I was planning to come back tomorrow, but something urgent came up. We need to speed things up."
"Urgent? What kind of urgent situation?"
"I can't say just yet. Uncle Mac, we need to go out and find someone."
"Who?"
"The auction house's owner, Barry."
John's idea was simple: if he needed to find someone influential in the city, Barry was the best choice.
As the owner of the auction house, Barry had significant influence over both NPCs and players.
Moreover, reopening Minefield No. 1 would be highly beneficial for Barry, unless he was also involved in the cover-up.
John couldn't think of a reason why Barry would refuse.
Without wasting any time, John and Uncle Mac left their place and headed to Barry's private residence.
John kicked over the guards blocking their way, who immediately treated him as an intruder.
Fortunately, someone recognized John just in time and reported to the sleeping Barry, avoiding a fight.
When John and Uncle Mac were ushered into the sitting room, Barry, dressed in his nightwear, looked at John with a troubled expression.
"How about this, Barry? Let's make a bet."
"John, even if you say that, I can't..."
Before Barry could finish, John interrupted him. "You're a businessman. Don't you have the courage for a small wager? At least hear my terms before you refuse."
Barry hesitated, then sighed. "Fine, go ahead."
"My terms are simple. Tomorrow morning, I'll storm the city lord's mansion and force Caliban to show himself.
If I can prove to you that his army is no match for me, you will come out and support me. If I lose, you don't have to pay any price. What do you say, Barry?"
"...Although I think it's impossible, if this will satisfy you, John, then fine. I'll bet with you!"
"Tomorrow morning, wait for my news. Don't sleep too soundly, Barry."
"Knowing this, how could I sleep at all? John, we've known each other for a while, and you're a valued customer.
In the future, I'll still need your help with my auction house.
I can't just sit back and benefit from your efforts. Here, I have a treasure I bought for a high price to save my own life. It's yours now, John."
With that, Barry took out a heartguard from his pocket. The mirror surface of the heartguard was slightly cracked, but it could still function.
John accepted the heartguard and examined it. As expected, it was a Legendary-quality item.
The item's property was to protect the wearer from one fatal blow, restoring their status to 75%. This status included the total amount of HP and mana combined.
It's a shame that, given its current durability, it can only be used one more time before it shatters completely.
"It's a fine item, Barry, and I appreciate your goodwill, but I really don't need it. An army, you say? Well, it just so happens I have one too—a monster army!"
...
The next morning!
John looked at the warm sunlight streaming through the window but felt no joy. Gluttony and the Divine Emissary of the God of Light and Prophecy loomed over him like a constantly ticking clock. When the countdown reached zero, John would have no chance to recover.
He had to resolve the current trouble quickly and head to Atlantis as soon as possible.
Thinking of this, John took a deep breath and turned to Uncle Mac.
"Uncle Mac, let's go."
"I'm really sorry, John. My stubbornness has forced you into this risky situation..."
"Don't say that, Uncle Mac. We're companions. Besides, I do want to meet this mysterious city lord and see how strong he is to hold onto his position!"