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

Faced with the resolute expression of the legendary warrior Aike, John found himself at a loss for words.

His initial intention in coming here was to gather information related to the Mysterious Sage.

He had never anticipated that his journey would culminate in liberating Aike from his seal.

Moreover, Aike had never shared this information with him in the illusion of the ancient battlefield.

Noticing the confusion on John's face, Aike asked with a smile, "What's the matter? Didn't you come here to break my seal? You must have met Esha, right? Wasn't it she who sent you here?"

John couldn't make sense of what Aike was saying.

He had been merely completing a quest given by a woman in white near the southern seaport, unaware of her name.

However, from Aike's words, John could surmise that the woman's name must be Esha.

"I'm not sure if the person I met was Esha. She wasn't very clear, much like you, speaking in riddles. She didn't choose to explain herself fully."

John's response left Aike with a puzzled expression as well, unable to fully grasp the meaning behind John's words.

The two exchanged awkward glances before John decided to meticulously re-examine all the quests he had undertaken.

Afterwards, John recounted every quest he had undertaken to Aike.

Having heard everything, Aike finally began to understand the situation.

"I can confirm that the person who gave you the quest is Esha. The various elements you were tasked to collect were meant to open the portal to the ancient battlefield illusion. Only by venturing into the ancient battlefield illusion first could you qualify to come here. Had you not spoken with me within the illusion of the ancient battlefield, you would have never found this place."

Aike's explanation cleared up some of John's confusion.

However, John's greater concern was why Aike hadn't clarified everything within the ancient battlefield illusion.

"Why didn't you hint that the goal was to help break your seal? If I had known about this quest earlier, I could have executed it more smoothly. I spent a long time preparing before coming here, expecting to face a significant battle. Who could have imagined everything would be this simple?"

Aike's expression turned slightly awkward, as he hadn't anticipated the simplicity of the situation either.

"Under normal circumstances, you would have encountered monsters from the Mysterious faction. But I'm also puzzled as to why they didn't try to stop you. Even if the monsters didn't, a projection of the Mysterious Sage should have appeared."

Aike was clearly perplexed, not understanding the current state of affairs.

After hearing Aike's words, John shared his speculations, recounting the series of events leading up to the Mysterious Sage's revival.

Upon hearing this, Aike's expression grew gravely serious.

"Why would you allow the Mysterious Sage to be successfully revived? Don't you realize how powerful the Mysterious Sage is? Don't you understand the threat he poses to us?"

Faced with Aike's barrage of questions, John naturally didn't feel that all the problems were his own doing.

As an adventurer, he had done everything within his power.

In John's view, it was the NPCs of the Order Faction who had led to the current dire situation.

"As an adventurer, I've given it my all, and I believe I've saved Storm City several times over. The successful revival of the Mysterious Sage is entirely due to the failure of several powerful individuals within the Order Faction. When faced with danger in the storm, they couldn't cooperate effectively, let alone face a greater threat like the Mysterious Sage."

Aike didn't press further, sensing from John's words a strong dissatisfaction with the powerful individuals of the Order Faction.

Aike hadn't really expected much help from them in the first place.

"Well then, as long as they don't interfere with us, we'll handle the threat of the Mysterious Sage ourselves! According to what you've said, the Mysterious Sage should currently be in the Dark Realm. We should head directly there."

Faced with Aike's suggestion, John didn't immediately agree.

In his view, venturing into the Dark Realm now seemed excessively dangerous.

Even if they decided to go, they would need the cooperation of others.

Moreover, as a legendary warrior, Aike should be able to persuade Duke Arsena.

"As a legendary warrior in the history of Storm City, you should be able to convince Duke Arsena to believe that following your plan would yield the best results."

John's question left Aike unsure how to respond.

In Aike's era, there was no Storm City, only Storm Lake.

"I'm not aware, as I am not from the same era as this Duke Arsena you mentioned. He might heed my advice, but why do we specifically need his help? Our combined strength should be formidable enough. Currently, the Mysterious Sage is likely engaged in battle with the Devils of the Dark Realm. The conflict with the Devils of the Dark Faction should have weakened the Mysterious Sage. If we could collaborate with the Devils of the Dark Faction, we might stand a chance against the Mysterious Sage."

Aike had always assumed that John would act alongside him, primarily because it was John's assistance that had freed him from his seal.

In the legendary warrior Aike's mind, his very existence was meant to oppose the Mysterious Sage, and he didn't even consider the possibility of having to fight the Devils of the Dark Faction.

John fell silent once more.

He knew that Aike had limited understanding of the current situation and that for Aike's actions to be effective, John would need to provide a more comprehensive explanation.

"The Dark Faction and the Mysterious Faction both pose significant threats to our Order Faction, in my view. Storm City has previously suffered several attacks from the Dark Faction. Moreover, the Devils of the Dark Faction harbor considerable hostility towards me, as I have battled them before. So, if we were to go to the Dark Realm again, it's unlikely they would be willing to collaborate with us. This is why I've always hoped you could persuade Duke Arsena. Without the support of other powerful allies, our strength might still be insufficient."

Eventually, Aike was persuaded by John. After all, Aike had only just learned about the broader situation and his understanding of this era was limited to his conversations with John.

"If that's the case, then I'll accompany you to this Storm City you've mentioned. We should be able to persuade the lord of Storm City, Duke Arsena."

Thus, John, along with Aike, made their way to the palace of Duke Arsena.

There, Duke Arsena was in the midst of discussing a collaborative effort with Adam and Blue Sea.

"I've understood all the plans you've outlined quite clearly. My final question is, what kind of reward do you seek? After all, I've had many dealings with adventurers. With the exception of a few very special adventurers, most seek rewards. If you don't ask for a reward, it's hard for me to believe in your sincerity."

Faced with Duke Arsena's question, Adam and Blue Sea exchanged glances.

Ultimately, Adam voiced the reward they hoped to receive.

"I recall you can grant adventurers access to the training fields at the Storm City barracks. The reward we seek is the opportunity to use these facilities. All adventurers wish to quickly level up, as one's level significantly impacts an adventurer's strength."

Faced with the condition put forth by Adam, Duke Arsena didn't immediately agree.

He fell silent for a moment, his fingers tapping on the desk. After a few minutes of silence, Duke Arsena finally spoke slowly: "As long as you fulfill the promises you've made afterward, I will certainly provide such a reward. However, I must warn you, should you attempt to deceive me, you will face severe punishment."