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

At the teleportation point in Storm City, several NPCs of Storm City were looking on in surprise at the sudden appearance of John and Duke Arsena.

These NPCs were quite familiar with Duke Arsena. Some of them wanted to offer their help to the Duke, especially since he had fallen to the ground the moment he appeared at the teleportation point.

However, the guards of Storm City promptly intervened, dispersing all the onlookers, both NPCs and players alike.

"Your Grace, are you alright? Lord John, are you unharmed?"

The guards helped Duke Arsena and John to their feet. John, having previously saved Storm City, was held in high esteem by the guards, who treated him with great respect.

John was slightly disoriented, taking a few minutes to finally steady his mind.

Once he had a clear understanding of his surroundings and confirmed he was back in Storm City, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine, and I hope Duke Arsena isn't too badly hurt?"

John was also concerned about Duke Arsena. After all, any harm to the Duke could potentially earn John the resentment of all NPCs within Storm City.

Duke Arsena hadn't faced the Saint of Mystery directly, so he wasn't in significant danger.

His only perilous moment was catching a glimpse of the Saint of Mystery's true form just as he was leaving the Dark Realm.

Even just one glance at the true form of the Saint of Mystery was enough to leave Duke Arsena with an unforgettable and chilling memory.

"I'm not severely harmed either! Let's temporarily retreat to my palace for now. Staying here might lead to misunderstandings, and I'd hate to see Storm City thrown into chaos again!"

Following Duke Arsena's orders, the guards escorted him and John back to his palace.

Within the safety of the palace, John and Duke Arsena discussed their failed operation and contemplated their next moves.

"We certainly underestimated the Saint of Mystery's power! Merely one look from him was enough to immobilize me completely, leaving me unable to act.

Had you not used the Book of the Astral Realm to transport us back to Storm City, I fear I might not have survived the Dark Realm," Duke Arsena said, still shaken by the encounter.

John naturally didn't disagree with the Duke's assessment.

Although John had managed to escape even worse situations, his recent experience had instilled a certain fear of the Saint of Mystery's capabilities.

"You're right; we did underestimate the Saint of Mystery. It's precisely because of this underestimation that the legendary warrior Aike failed to escape."

John finally brought up the legendary warrior Aike, causing Duke Arsena's expression to falter slightly.

After a moment's contemplation, the Duke asked John, "What exactly happened? You haven't given me the full details yet. From what you've said, it seems you managed to reach the battlefield where the Saint of Mystery and the Corruptor were clashing."

"Indeed, I did reach the very depths of the Dark Lair. There, I witnessed the conflict between the Saint of Mystery and the Corruptor. Though 'conflict' might not be the right word—it was more of a one-sided crush."

John's words deepened the furrow in Duke Arsena's brow.

"Even the Corruptor, with his immense strength as a Devil, found himself overpowered and compelled to seek my assistance in the face of the Saint of Mystery. The Saint managed to obliterate the Corruptor with what seemed like minimal effort."

The formidable power of the Saint of Mystery had left a profound impression on John.

As he spoke, his expression stiffened, and Duke Arsena could see that John's psychological trauma from the encounter was significantly more severe than his own. Recognizing this, Duke Arsena refrained from pressing further, waiting instead for John to continue at his own pace.

"As for the legendary warrior Aike you mentioned, my understanding is that he aided me in breaking free from the Saint of Mystery's mental corruption. Immediately after, he launched an attack with his weapon. However, he didn't even come close to touching the Saint's true form before he was torn to shreds by the mystical forces swirling around the Saint.

I used the power of the Book of the Astral Realm to teleport us away precisely because I witnessed such a scene. Had it not been for the Corruptor buying us some time, we might not have been able to escape the Dark Realm at all."

After sharing his story, John's spirits seemed to lift somewhat.

Articulating the ordeal aloud diminished his fear of the Saint of Mystery, who, after all, was just a formidable boss within the game.

As one of the top players in the game, John remained hopeful.

With future updates, particularly those leading to the downfall of the Saint of Mystery, John believed he could still contend for the first kill.

Upon hearing John's account, Duke Arsena's expression turned to one of resignation mixed with fear.

"So, what should we do now? Are we just going to let this go? And is the legendary warrior Aike truly gone? If the Saint of Mystery has the means to resurrect, surely the legendary warrior Aike might have a way to come back too, right? Shouldn't we attempt to aid in the revival of the legendary warrior Aike?"

Prompted by Duke Arsena's reminder, John suddenly recalled that possibility.

"You're right, the legendary warrior Aike might have left some means for resurrection near Storm Lake! Let's go there and check it out."

John and Duke Arsena promptly made their way to Storm Lake, located beneath Storm City.

At the lake's edge, they indeed found that the statue of the legendary warrior Aike had reappeared, signifying his successful resurrection through the statue at the lakeside.

Upon their arrival, John took out the Book of the Astral Realm once more, referencing some information related to the legendary warrior Aike he had recorded therein.

Combining this information with a quest item he had acquired, he managed to bring the statue of Aike to life.

The legendary warrior Aike was thus revived, but the moment he awoke, he immediately held his weapon to John's neck.

Both John and Duke Arsena were taken aback, with Duke Arsena in particular being very alarmed by Aike's actions and readying himself for battle.

"My apologies! I was overly cautious! I mistook you for one of the monsters summoned by the Saint of Mystery!"

Aike quickly lowered his weapon.

He had not intended to attack John; he had merely mistaken him for a creature of the Mystery.

"I must have failed again, didn't I? My last memory is of the Saint of Mystery's form glaring at me, and then my memory cuts off."

Upon his resurrection, the legendary warrior Aike retained the memories he had before his demise.

These memories led him to deduce that he must have been vanquished by the Saint of Mystery once again.

John, intrigued, inquired, "Have you been defeated by the Saint of Mystery before? Why haven't you mentioned this?"

"Why bring it up? Would mentioning it have improved your performance? I chose not to mention it to avoid frightening you both," Aike responded, his gaze shifting between John and Duke Arsena.

"It seems you're now aware of the true might of the Saint of Mystery. He is indeed powerful enough to instantly obliterate formidable adversaries like us. If fear grips you, feel free to withdraw."

Naturally, neither John nor Duke Arsena considered withdrawing.

Their enmity with the Saint of Mystery was irreconcilable, and any thoughts of making peace were futile.

"We have no intention of abandoning our alliance with you! What we're eager to know is our next course of action. Are we to confront the Saint of Mystery in the Dark Realm once more?"

John was more concerned about the strategy moving forward, believing that without a solid plan, defeating the Saint of Mystery would be impossible.

Aike sighed, "Indeed, we need to formulate our next steps."

After a moment of contemplation, he proposed with a slight smile, "For now, let's lay low for a while. I'll use this time to devise a strategy specifically against the Saint of Mystery. After all, he can't leave the Dark Realm any time soon."

Although John and Duke Arsena were somewhat dissatisfied with Aike's plan, they couldn't come up with a better one.

The trio agreed to first focus on regaining their strength and, in the process, search for weapons capable of posing a significant threat to the Saint of Mystery.