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

Inside the magus tower of Ocean Sage, John was diligently inspecting to ensure that nothing was amiss or missing.

Although it seemed unlikely that anyone besides the Mystery Protector had infiltrated the magus tower of Ocean Sage, John felt it imperative to leave no stone unturned.

After all, Ocean Sage had been of significant assistance to him, and he was determined to maintain the integrity of the magus tower, honoring Ocean Sage's last wishes.

As John meticulously checked the items within the magus tower, Shatras couldn't help but express his concerns to John, questioning, "Are you truly confident that the Mystery Protector will remain sealed beneath the magus tower? It seems to me that the Mystery Protector might find a way to escape his confines."

John, while continuing his inspection of the contents within a cabinet, responded, "Indeed, he might find a way to escape eventually. However, even if he does discover a means of liberation, it would take a considerable amount of time. I have thoroughly examined the barrier at the entrance below the magus tower; it is fortified by the power of the Sea God.

Unless the Sea God himself were to fall, the Mystery Protector won't be able to breach the barrier anytime soon. And should he manage to break free at a time when we are still grappling with a greater imminent threat, then the Mystery Protector will be the least of our concerns."

John's words conveyed a clear message: the decision not to eliminate the Mystery Protector stemmed from the fact that he was not their primary adversary at the moment.

Even if the Mystery Protector were to escape his seal, he wouldn't pose a significant threat to them.

The only real threats to the Order Faction were the Mystery Saints and the Dark Faction, with the former posing a considerably more immediate danger.

"You may have a point, but Her Majesty the Queen will certainly not accept such an explanation. Before I rushed to South Harbor to provide support, I had informed Her Majesty that South Harbor was threatened by the Mystery Protector. She will undoubtedly inquire about the status of the Mystery Protector. How should I respond then?"

"You need not answer Her Majesty's question about that. After we have settled all matters concerning South Harbor, I will accompany you to the Naga tribe because I, too, have a matter to discuss with Her Majesty."

With John's assurance, Shatras chose not to press further, quietly following John as they left Ocean Sage's magus tower.

Outside the tower, the NPCs of South Harbor had gathered, sensing that John had neutralized all threats.

Twilight and Hammer, having been left by John to ensure South Harbor's safety, stood at the forefront of all the NPCs.

"Lord, I am deeply sorry! I failed to complete the quest you assigned to me! I couldn't withstand the assault from the Mystery Protector and the Darklord!"

As a formidable warrior, Hammer was naturally very honor-bound.

Failing his quest had left him profoundly disheartened.

"You need not be so hard on yourself. I believe you performed admirably. No one could have fared better under the combined assault of the Mystery Protector and the Darklord."

John first commended Hammer. Although Hammer often acted recklessly in crisis situations, John admired one quality in him: his courage. Hammer never backed down from any enemy.

"Thank you for your praise, my Lord! What shall we do next? South Harbor had just been repaired, only to be ravaged by the enemy again!"

"We must indeed repair South Harbor once again! However, this time I will ensure its safety. I won't stray far from South Harbor until it is fully restored."

As the lord of South Harbor, John naturally needed to ensure its security.

Thus, he decided to complete all defensive fortifications before the legendary warrior Aike found a way to counter the Mystery Saints.

John's commitment greatly uplifted the spirits of the NPCs of South Harbor.

The NPCs cheered for their lord, though some were skeptical, doubting that South Harbor and John alone could achieve this feat.

Twilight was among the skeptics.

Stepping forward, Twilight addressed John: "My lord, your plan is indeed grand, but we lack the manpower and resources to fully repair South Harbor. The last repair efforts depleted all of South Harbor's gold coin reserves. Can we truly expect more help from other adventurers? And wouldn't those adventurers expect substantial rewards in return?"

Twilight's concerns were not unfounded.

While Adam and the Blue Sea had always been allies willing to aid John, it wasn't feasible to rely entirely on their resources for the restoration of his territory.

After a moment's thought, John devised a solution.

John possessed many Sacred Relics and, aside from those, he also had several epic-tier weapons that he had no use for.

He decided to simply hand over these epic-tier weapons to his allies.

After all, these weapons no longer significantly contributed to John's own strength.

However, for John's allies, Adam and Blue Sea, as well as the members of their guilds, these epic-tier weapons would markedly enhance their capabilities.

"You don't need to worry about resources! I can assure you that we will gather all the necessary resources to repair South Harbor within a month."

After addressing the NPCs' concerns, John dismissed them to attend to their tasks.

It was only after the NPCs had departed that Shatras approached John with a question, "It seems you are very confident in managing your territory. Naga tribe and South Harbor should engage in more collaboration in the future. Your upcoming visit to the Naga tribe and audience with Her Majesty is intended for discussing cooperation, right? After all, South Harbor and the Naga tribe are in close proximity."

John neither denied nor confirmed Shatras's statement.

"Rather than discussing territorial cooperation with Her Majesty, I'm more interested in discussing collaboration against hostile factions. Her Majesty has been staying within the Naga tribe recently. I'm curious about what has been keeping her so busy. Shouldn't Her Majesty be providing support to her allies? When South Harbor was under attack, why did Her Majesty only send you for support?"

Although John was gentle with Shatras, he was quite dissatisfied with the Naga Queen.

In his view, the Naga Queen hadn't offered much assistance. According to the agreement between John, the Naga Queen, and Duke Arsena, they were supposed to support each other in the event of an attack on their territories.

The Naga Queen hadn't adhered to their agreement; when South Harbor was under attack, even the guards from Storm City had arrived, yet the Naga tribe had only dispatched one Legend Magus.

Although Shatras was a powerful Legend Magus, didn't the Naga tribe have any other resources to spare?

If the Naga tribe had the capacity, why didn't they provide more assistance to South Harbor?

Shatras could sense the dissatisfaction in John's tone.

He wanted to offer an explanation but ultimately decided against it, feeling he wasn't in a position to do so.

After all, John and he were about to head to the Naga tribe soon, and it would be better for the Queen herself to provide the explanations.

"Regarding these matters, I actually don't know much. You could ask Her Majesty directly, especially since you'll be heading to the Naga tribe soon, right?"

John nodded, but before setting off for the Naga tribe, there was one last matter he needed to address.

He opened his communication channel and sent a message to Adam and Blue Sea.

[South Harbor has been attacked once again, and I require some magical materials to repair it. This time, I'm willing to exchange the epic-tier weapons you need for these materials. Additionally, members of your guilds can also exchange gold coins or magical materials for weapons.]

After sending the message, John, without any hesitation, set off for the Naga tribe with Shatras.

Upon receiving John's message, Adam and Blue Sea were overjoyed.

They had long hoped to acquire more weapons from John but had hesitated to speak up, fearing that their requests might upset John, given his formidable strength.

Such a scenario would be untenable for them and their guilds. Now that John had proactively broached the subject, their concerns were significantly allayed.