Chapter 523 -A Temporary Cessation of Conflict
John found himself in a vexing predicament as he witnessed the dispute between Duke Arsena and the Ocean Sage. The latest revelation that the Ocean Sage had once collaborated with a Saint of the Mystery Faction, if true, meant that John could no longer ally himself with the Ocean Sage.
His priority had to be addressing the threat posed by the Mystery Faction.
John turned his gaze to the Ocean Sage, expecting a thorough explanation. Even if the Ocean Sage had once cooperated with the Mystery Faction, there had to be some compelling reasons for it. If the collaboration was merely for gaining greater power or simply to counter the Northern Myst Empire, John could not accept it.
The Ocean Sage, facing this challenging situation, realized that he needed to explain himself quickly. Besides John, it seemed unlikely that anyone else would offer him support at this point. The need for a clear and convincing explanation was paramount to regain trust and possibly reshape the alliances on the battlefield.
Faced with the need for an explanation, and discerning John's evident hostility towards the Mystery Saint from his expression, the Ocean Sage began to elucidate the reasons behind his past actions.
"I admit that I did collaborate with the Mystery Saint. However, my cooperation with him was solely aimed at defeating the Dark Faction. Everyone here should remember that, at that time, the threat posed by the Dark Faction was more significant. In the era I was active, the Order Faction had virtually no defense at Sunset Mountain. The power of the Dark Realm could easily approach Storm City from there.
Moreover, the Northern Myst Empire at that time completely ignored my calls for help. They neither planned to send reinforcements to Storm City nor to provide me with additional assistance from their skilled warriors.
The Naga tribe was also only capable of defending themselves and their territory. Their forces were stretched thin in securing their own tribe, let alone being in a position to assist us. Given such circumstances, I naturally had no choice but to collaborate with the forces of Mystery!" VIsit n0(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
The Ocean Sage's explanation portrayed his decision as a desperate measure in the face of abandonment by allies and the looming threat of the Dark Faction. This reasoning could potentially shift perspectives, as it suggested his actions, while controversial, were driven by a necessity to protect the greater good.
"And at that time, I believed that the power of Mystery wasn't as massive a threat to our Order Faction as it is now. At least back then, the resurrection progress of the Mystery Saint was significantly lacking. He couldn't resurrect directly from the Abyss, the origin of the Mystery power. Now that I have successfully escaped from the seal, I will no longer collaborate with the Mystery Faction. Furthermore, I plan to cooperate with others from the Order Faction. I believe I can perfectly collaborate with the Naga tribe and John."
Ocean Sage, too, showed no hesitation and entered into a contract with John. And so, everyone around awaited the activation of the contract, ensured by the Photonic Brain System.
John finally felt he had a chance to uncover the hidden secrets of Storm City. However, at the moment the contract was activated, John received an unexpected prompt.
[Player Alert: The current storyline mode is not applicable to contracts! The current storyline mode is not applicable to contracts! Players are advised to quickly cancel the contract! Failure to cancel the contract within the specified time will result in the player being forcibly logged out!]
John's mind was bombarded with notifications from the game server system. These notifications made it clear that John's attempt to use this clever method to complete the hidden quest was impossible.
John didn't hesitate and promptly canceled the contract, surprising everyone present with his action. Before Queen Naga could even ask a question, John spoke up, "The contracts you both entered into have taken effect. It appears that what you both said is true."
John's words left everyone in a state of shock. The Mystery Protector, not wasting any time, accused John of lying, saying, "This is absolutely impossible. They both said entirely different things, so how can everything they said be true? You must be lying!"
Although Natasha remained silent, it was evident that she shared the same sentiment as the Mystery Protector. However, Natasha couldn't fathom why John would deliberately lie. Had John already figured out that Ocean Sage was the one lying? If so, was John still willing to cooperate with Ocean Sage?
Natasha had numerous questions running through her mind, but she knew she was unlikely to find the answers. After all, she had been on opposing sides with John until recently.
Queen Naga fell silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. She then spoke, "In that case, we can confirm that both sides have not lied. Now that Ocean Sage has successfully broken free from his seal, I suggest you return to the southern harbor of Storm City as soon as possible. In the current circumstances, it seems imperative for both the Northern Myst Empire and Ocean Sage to cooperate. If Storm City comes under attack, our Naga tribe will provide reinforcements."
With the matter resolved, Queen Naga decided to depart. Her presence here no longer served any purpose.
After Queen Naga left, both Ocean Sage and John chose to leave as well. The remaining three formidable figures from the Northern Myst Empire exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of their next course of action.