Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple

Chapter 478 478-Hidden Areas of Storm City

John, not taking Emma's feelings into account, felt he had just learned crucial information. 

He needed to act swiftly on this information to find the man in black mentioned by Emma.

Rushing back to his residence, John entered the Game Chamber and logged into his account. 

Immediately, he received messages from Adam and Blue Sea.

[Blue Sea: I've successfully located the Darklord Guild's base. It's in the Icebound Fortress. We can go there anytime to settle the score with Darklord!]

[Adam: I think I've figured out the source of the Mystery power in Storm City. It seems someone is continuously providing players with Mystery power gems here. I'm still investigating their identity.]

[Naga Queen: Aren't you planning to return to our Naga Tribe? If you don't come back within a week, I'll revoke your Naga Tribe pass.]

[Legend Magus Shatras of Naga Tribe: Her Majesty is quite serious. She's really angry because she feels you're not following the plan you agreed upon with her.]

John decided to ignore all messages except Adam's, believing the others weren't helpful to his current action. 

He felt compelled to investigate this mysterious person distributing Mystery power gems in Storm City, as it might be related to the man in black Emma mentioned. 

This lead seemed more urgent and potentially more dangerous than the other issues at hand. 

His focus now was to uncover this mystery and ensure the safety of Storm City and its players.

As soon as John logged in, he immediately initiated a video call with Adam.

Adam, still busy with guild matters, was somewhat surprised by John's sudden call. 

Nevertheless, he accepted the video call. "What's so urgent? Are you planning to head to the Icebound Fortress to confront Darklord right away? I'm not fully prepared yet, and I hope you can delay your plan to confront Darklord. We should act only after all preparations are in place. After all, obtaining proof of Darklord's cooperation with the Mystery Protector is crucial for your success in defeating the Omnis Protector."

Adam assumed John's haste was about seeking out Darklord. 

However, he was mistaken, and before he could finish, John interrupted him.

"I'm not calling to discuss Darklord. I've learned from someone that there's a man in black in the southern district of Storm City's trading area. Who this man in black is, I think I don't need to elaborate. Moreover, you mentioned that someone is distributing Mystery power gems to players. I'm convinced that this is related to the man in black in the southern district. We must act quickly; if we're too slow, he might leave! This is the most important issue for us right now!"

After saying this, John abruptly ended the call and used his teleportation ability to quickly reach the southern district of Storm City's trading area. 

He began searching the area for any sign of the man in black.

Meanwhile, Adam, having heard John's words, sighed, "Why are there always so many issues that require my personal attention? I really shouldn't have become the guild leader. Being a guild leader brings me no benefits, only a heap of troubles to deal with."

Despite his complaints, Adam knew he had to head to the southern district of Storm City's trading area as soon as possible. 

Upon arriving via teleportation, he immediately ran into John.

"How is it? Have you found the man in black? Judging by your expression, it seems you don't have any leads," Adam could tell that John was very disappointed.

John nodded, "It seems we were a bit too late. If we had acted faster, maybe we could have found this man in black."

Adam didn't dwell on John's words and quickly shifted the topic. 

"Which areas haven't you searched yet? Maybe we could check those areas you haven't covered to continue investigating the man in black's whereabouts. He might be hiding in a place you haven't searched."

John responded with a wry smile, "I've already searched the entire southern district of the trading area. I don't think there's anywhere left unchecked. He probably has already left."

"Are you sure you've searched the entire southern district? Do you know there's an underground space in the southern district of the trading area? There are hidden areas in Storm City."

Adam's words reignited John's enthusiasm. 

John considered that perhaps they could find the man in black in this concealed area.

"In that case, let's take action quickly. We must find him because only by doing so can we understand the real reasons behind Dark Faction's previous actions. I don't believe Dark Faction's prior actions were just whimsical. There must be other reasons behind them."

With renewed purpose, John and Adam prepared to delve into the hidden areas of Storm City, hoping to uncover the elusive man in black and the secrets he might hold.

Adam followed John without much comment, and they quickly arrived at the hidden area beneath the southern district of the trading zone. 

This concealed region was directly below the southern district, a remnant of the large swamp that used to occupy the site before Storm City was built. 

After the city's construction, the water was drained, leaving a vast underground cavity.

Initially, the people of Storm City didn't pay much attention to this large void. 

However, as the population grew, its value became more apparent. Many NPCs, particularly those operating in the shadows and likely enemies of the Order Faction, took refuge in this hollow. 

After all, if they weren't enemies of the Order Faction, why would they need to hide?

As John and Adam entered this vast cavity, both felt an oppressive atmosphere. 

It was as if the space itself was cursed.

"I don't know what you think, but I feel like this area might be cursed. But I can't be sure which faction is behind it," Adam shared his thoughts with John.

John nodded without speaking, his focus clearly on observing their surroundings. 

The sense of a curse in the air added an eerie tension, as if the very shadows around them held secrets or dangers yet unseen. 

The two continued their search through the gloomy expanse, alert for any sign of the mysterious man in black or clues about the Dark Faction's activities.

Having explored the underground area for not too long, as it wasn't as vast as they had imagined, John and Adam found themselves back at the entrance. 

Adam seemed somewhat disappointed, feeling that their mission had essentially failed. 

John, however, did not appear as disheartened as Adam had expected.

It seemed John had picked up on another clue during their exploration. 

After surveying their surroundings, he whispered to Adam, "Did you notice that during our exploration, it seemed like something was following us? Even now, that presence is still lurking not far away, watching us."

John's voice was very low, barely audible over the noise of the area. 

Adam, after hearing John's words, became extremely vigilant. 

He was about to take a look around, but John stopped him.

"Don't make any sudden moves now. If you do, whoever is tracking us will immediately notice. We need to be cautious and careful in our approach. I think we should head back into the underground area. If we leave now, the follower definitely won't pursue. The one who has been tracking us is likely hiding in this concealed area."

John's composure earlier stemmed from his careful consideration of the situation, leading to the formulation of a complete plan. 

Now, he felt it was time to share this plan with his ally, Adam.

After hearing John's plan, Adam raised no objections, agreeing that it seemed sound and devoid of obvious flaws.

"Then let's re-explore the entire hidden area," suggested John. 

"Even though we've already been through it once, I have a feeling we might have missed something."

So, the two set out once again to comb through the hidden area. 

True to John's prediction, the entity that had been following them reappeared. 

This time, however, it seemed bolder than before, maintaining a much closer distance to John than previously.