Chapter 579 Chapter552-The Unperturbed Darklord
They were well aware that Duke Arsena had visited a shop in a trading area of Storm City before he disappeared. Knowing the location of the shop, they immediately headed there.
As they approached the entrance of the shop, Adam and Blue Sea were warmly welcomed by an NPC, a familiar face who had previously provided them with valuable assistance, making the encounter a pleasant reunion for both parties involved.
"Duke Arsena had been here before, hadn't he? Where did he go after his visit? Did he meet with anyone else while he was here?"
Natasha asked the NPC directly. The merchant NPC, faced with her questions, appeared quite puzzled.
Initially, he had planned to flee, but upon realizing that John had emerged victorious and deemed Storm City to be safe, he decided it was best to stay near his shop.
With the city's safety seemingly assured, he saw no reason to leave his place of business.
The NPC had not expected the powerful members of the Order Faction to arrive at his shop doorstep, especially with questions to which he truly had no answers.
"I haven't seen Duke Arsena here before. Why would His Grace appear here? And if he did, wouldn't he be accompanied by guards?" he responded.
Everyone was dissatisfied with the NPC's answer, and Natasha was particularly direct, stating, "You'd better answer our questions. Do you know who I am? Do you think the General of the Northern Myst Empire's guards doesn't deserve an answer?"
The NPC was, of course, aware of who Natasha was, but he genuinely did not know whether Duke Arsena had been at his shop.
So, he reiterated what he had said before with utmost honesty.
It seemed to everyone that the NPC likely didn't have any more information.
Although somewhat disappointed, Natasha eventually accepted the reality.
"It appears our plan was never going to be easy to execute successfully. Let's continue our search for Duke Arsena elsewhere," she concluded.
Natasha, holding firm to her belief, strongly advocated for everyone to disperse and conduct their search separately, convinced that such a strategy would significantly expedite the process of uncovering the elusive Duke Arsena's current location.
However, just as Natasha finished speaking, Darklord appeared before them, wearing a radiant smile on his face.
Upon seeing Adam and Blue Sea, Darklord directly addressed them, "Long time no see. It's quite a coincidence to meet you here."
Both Duke Arsena and Natasha were surprised to see each other.
Natasha finally understood where Duke Arsena had disappeared to, yet she remained clueless about why Darklord had confined him within the mirror.
"Why are you here?! Were you fighting with this adventurer before?! Why didn't you inform us in advance?! We were searching for you throughout our battle with the Dark Faction, and it cost us dearly."
Natasha's tone carried a hint of reproach, as she believed Duke Arsena's oversight had put them at a significant disadvantage.
Duke Arsena felt he had no room for defense and simply recounted the events that had transpired.
It turned out that he had been sealed inside the mirror by Darklord because one of Darklord's subordinates had offered him a supposed strategy to defeat the Dark Faction.
Initially, Duke Arsena was skeptical, but the information provided was too crucial to ignore.
Eventually, he chose to meet with Darklord.
Their meeting was brief and to the point, with Darklord launching an attack almost immediately.
Duke Arsena found himself without any strategy to counter Darklord's assault.
Given Darklord's arsenal and the aid from the Mystery Saint, the overwhelming power of Mystery forced Duke Arsena into defeat.
After sharing his own ordeal, Duke Arsena turned his attention to Natasha, implying that she should update him on the recent events within Storm City.
Natasha recounted all that had transpired in Storm City.
Hearing this, Duke Arsena felt somewhat relieved.
In his view, as long as Storm City was not under the control of the Dark Faction, there was still hope for change.
"The strength of this adventurer is truly formidable. Do you really believe that John can win against him? John has already defeated two Devils in succession. He must have expended a great deal of his strength in the previous battles. Facing an adventurer with numerous Sacred Relics, I doubt John could have the upper hand."
Natasha wasn't as confident in John's capabilities, considering that he had already given his all in the previous battles.
If John had reached his limit, it seemed unlikely that he could overcome Darklord.
However, Duke Arsena had great faith in John, knowing him to be someone capable of working miracles.
"Perhaps John has already pushed himself to the limit in the previous battles, but I believe he can still withstand Darklord's assault. John is an adventurer who can create miracles! I'm certain he can save Storm City once again!"