Chapter 442 Chapter442-Unfathomable Strength
Facing Drill Sergeant Betack, who was standing still in surprise, John offered an apologetic smile.
"I'm truly sorry; that was just a hypothetical question. If you can't answer it, then let's forget I asked."
The question posed by John not only shocked Drill Sergeant Betack but also left Emma and SkyStars extremely surprised.
While Emma had some understanding of John, she had no knowledge of his previous encounters with numerous members of the Dark Faction's Devil and Mystery camps.
If Emma had known this information, she would have naturally felt even more concerned for John.
SkyStars, on the other hand, wondered if he had misheard something.
While he knew that John's strength was formidable, possibly surpassing the Darklord and Blue Sea, in SkyStars' view, as a player, John couldn't have possibly encountered members of the Dark Faction's Devil faction.
As for the term "Mystery camp's saint," he had never heard of it.
"What's wrong? Why is everyone silent now? If the training field introduction is complete, then go about your business, and we'll explore on our own from here."
In the absence of responses from the others, John had to break the silence himself.
Drill Sergeant Betack finally reacted and nodded expressionlessly.
"I've finished introducing the training field to you. You can use it now if you wish. If you ever want to use the training field later, just mention my name."
After saying this, Drill Sergeant Betack chose to leave.
After all, as the Drill Sergeant of the entire Storm City barracks, he still had to train some of Storm City's guards.
After Drill Sergeant Betack left, John turned his gaze toward Emma and SkyStars.
"I think you both should make good use of the training field! Especially you, SkyStars, your level is really low! Don't tell me you haven't been leveling up during this time. You haven't been exclusively helping me collect Crystal Fruit, have you?"
Faced with John's sudden inquiry, SkyStars was momentarily taken aback because he believed that his actions were perfectly fine.
He had been completing quests assigned by John all along.
"What's wrong? Don't you intend to buy the Crystal Fruit I collect? Didn't we agree that you would purchase all the Crystal Fruit I gather?"
SkyStars was still trying to figure out the situation.
John was starting to regret bringing SkyStars here.
SkyStars' behavior seemed to indicate that he could only exist as a very ordinary player, unable to transform himself into a top-tier player.
"Do you really want to rely on collecting Crystal Fruit to earn gold coins and experience points? Do you genuinely want to remain a low-level casual player? Don't you want to level up quickly and become one of the top players? If you don't aspire to be a top player, you can leave right now."
SkyStars finally understood what John meant and quickly explained why he hadn't realized it earlier.
"Of course, I really want to become a top player. You didn't explain it clearly earlier, and if you had, I would have understood the situation sooner."
John's response left him feeling exasperated, and Emma, in reality, was also quite exasperated.
She couldn't believe that someone had a slower reaction time than her.
"Now that you both understand the situation, I won't continue to lead you around aimlessly in the training field. You must rely on your own efforts to level up as quickly as possible. I have more important matters to attend to."
Since John had already arranged everything in the Storm City barracks' training field, it was time for him to focus on his own tasks.
After John left, Emma and SkyStars chatted for a while.
Emma's level was much higher than SkyStars', which put a significant amount of pressure on him.
"Are you going to focus on leveling up your character level or your spell level next? I've decided to prioritize raising my character level. It seems a bit too low."
SkyStars ultimately decided to end the discussion with Emma because he felt that he needed to make the most of his time to level up.
Naturally, Emma believed that, as a magus, she should prioritize raising her spell level.
After making their respective decisions, they went their separate ways.
Both Emma and SkyStars worked hard to level up, unaware that Drill Sergeant Betack had been secretly observing their actions.
After observing for a while, Drill Sergeant Betack went directly to the palace of Duke Arsena.
Duke Arsena was in his study, reviewing a series of recent intelligence reports obtained from the Northern Myst Empire.
Duke Arsena felt that Storm City was about to face a storm.
Drill Sergeant Betack knocked on the door of Duke Arsena's study.
Duke Arsena allowed Betack to enter, as he had instructed Betack to observe the status of John and the others.
"Have you noticed anything different about John compared to other adventurers?" Duke Arsena asked without even looking up from his study.
Betack responded without hesitation, "Duke Arsena, I believe John's strength far surpasses that of other adventurers. He even mentioned encountering Devils from the Dark Faction and saints from the Mystery Faction. As for other differences, they were not particularly evident. As you know, most adventurers' actions are quite similar – seeking quests from us to level up."
This information underscored the unique and potentially pivotal role John played in the broader scheme of things, setting him apart from the typical adventurer.
It highlighted not just his extraordinary strength but also his encounters with forces that most adventurers could hardly imagine, let alone confront.
Drill Sergeant Betack, sharing the common perception among NPCs about adventurers, expressed his distrust.
Most NPCs harbored skepticism towards adventurers, doubting their reliability and motives.
Duke Arsena, absorbed in his documents, didn't comment on Betack's opinion but continued to probe deeper.
"I recall John mentioned he'd bring two people to the training field. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Grace. He did bring two other adventurers with him to the training field," Betack confirmed.
"And what do you think of these two adventurers? Why do you think they have caught John's attention?"
Drill Sergeant Betack found it challenging to give a definitive assessment of Emma and SkyStars.
In his view, Emma was a competent fire magus, but that was about it.
As for SkyStars, he seemed to be an ordinary adventurer with a relatively low level.
Under normal circumstances, an adventurer of SkyStars' level wouldn't even qualify to be near the Storm City barracks.
"Your Grace, the female adventurer has a relatively high level, and she is indeed a powerful fire magus. As for the other male adventurer, his level is a bit low. I really don't know why John chose to bring these two individuals to the training field. Could it be that they are very important to John?" Drill Sergeant Betack pondered. n)-o-.V/-E--l.(b--I/(n
"I haven't observed any additional circumstances so far. If you wish for me to gather more information, I'll need more time."
Drill Sergeant Betack had indeed been carrying out Duke Arsena's quests perfectly, and Duke Arsena had always placed a great deal of trust in him.
While Duke Arsena hadn't received any crucial information from Drill Sergeant Betack, he had grown even more convinced of John's incomprehensible strength.
John's power had reached a level that even the gods couldn't easily discern, which both worried and pleased Duke Arsena.
He worried because he had always been distrustful of adventurers, believing that such a powerful adventurer could pose a significant threat.
However, he was also pleased because, at least for now, John appeared to be aligned with Storm City.
A powerful adventurer like John could provide significant assistance to Storm City.
Duke Arsena's task was to ensure that John remained on their side while also maintaining caution to prevent any unforeseen threats from John.