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

After a brief exchange with John, Kingserp raised his wand, and with the activation of his dark druidic abilities, the marine life in the surrounding waters transformed into corresponding demons.

These newly spawned demons immediately charged towards John and Shatras.

John remained unflustered by Kingserp's assault, casually wielding his weapon and casting a control skill with ease.

Despite Kingserp's high level as a dark druid, John's level was even higher, rendering the summoned demons relatively harmless to him.

"If that's the extent of your abilities, I suggest you make a hasty retreat. The penalty for dying, in terms of lost experience and gold coins, has become significantly steeper since the game's last update," John taunted, maintaining the upper hand in the battle.

Kingserp's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unbothered by his failed attacks, and continued summoning demons using his dark druid skills.

"Seems like you're quite persistent! But let me show you the real gap in our powers," John declared, his patience worn thin by the lack of useful information from Kingserp and unwilling to waste more time.

In a blink, John appeared right beside Kingserp, leveraging the power from the Book of the Astral Realm combined with his own Divine Skill, Abyssal Prison, to create a space seal within the ocean instantly.

John aimed to use the space seal to completely encapsulate Kingserp, intending to slowly extract more information from him once the objective was achieved.

John's actions were swift, so much so that even Shatras couldn't keep up.

She was still engaged in fending off the attacks from the demons summoned by Kingserp with her spells.

It was only when John's attack reached Kingserp that Shatras realized what was happening, and what unfolded next took her by complete surprise.

Far from achieving its intended effect, John's attack was repelled by Kingserp, turning the tables and trapping John within his own Abyssal Prison spell.

With a slow turn of his head and a smirk, Kingserp addressed John, now sealed within the Abyssal Prison, "Did you really think I'd come here alone? Surely you don't think I'm that foolish! You're just as naive as you always were."

Kingserp wasted no time and reinforced the Abyssal Prison's seal using his dark druid abilities, effectively preventing John from escaping, even with the use of the Book of the Astral Realm.

With John unable to free himself, Shatras immediately launched an attack on Kingserp, transforming into a massive tsunami and surging towards him. Kingserp, facing Shatras's onslaught, didn't have the same ease as he did with John's attack and morphed into a gigantic sea serpent to confront her.

With a gaping maw, the sea serpent form of Kingserp effortlessly nullified Shatras's tsunami, rendering it into nothingness.

Shatras refrained from launching another attack immediately, mindful of the considerable amount of magical power her tsunami ability had already drained.

After repelling Shatras, Kingserp reverted to his human form and addressed John, "Do you wonder why I dared to appear here this time? As you've mentioned, I am indeed a coward! And it's true that only with the aid of a Devil can I attain such formidable power."

Kingserp's choice not to attack John directly provided John with ample time to contemplate his escape.

Seeing that Kingserp was open to dialogue, John was willing to engage in conversation to buy time.

"So, you're implying that you've gained the support of a Devil again? Or rather, the support of many Devils?" John inquired.

Kingserp nodded with a smile.

"It seems you're not as foolish as before; you've managed to figure it out! That's precisely why I haven't eliminated you outright. I believe there's still potential for collaboration between us."

Kingserp's suggestion drew a laugh from John.

"Collaborate with you? Are you joking? We've been archenemies, always coming to blows upon meeting. How could we possibly cooperate?"

John was convinced that Kingserp had lost all sense of reason.

If Kingserp retained even a shred of sanity, he wouldn't entertain the idea of collaborating with someone responsible for reducing him to level zero twice.

"Could Kingserp be suffering from Stockholm syndrome?" John wondered silently.

"I understand that discussing collaboration might seem odd at this juncture. Given a choice, I'd prefer to see you utterly defeated. However, you must recognize the grave crisis facing the Dark Realm now, which is akin to the peril you're confronting. Why not join forces against the Mystery Saints? Don't you wish to eliminate them?"

Kingserp's words shed some light on the situation for John.

Indeed, the Mystery Saints had become a common foe for both the Dark and Order Factions.

Should the devils of the Dark Faction desire greater power, they would need to vanquish the Mystery Saints.

Yet, how could John place his trust in Kingserp?

"If you're genuinely interested in collaboration, why not start by releasing me from this seal? Without a basic level of trust, how can we possibly cooperate?"

John wasn't yet convinced about partnering with Kingserp; his current plea aimed merely at freeing himself from the seal.

Kingserp chuckled, "I'm aware of your tactics. Don't expect to gain the upper hand with your cunning. The one you'll be negotiating with next isn't me, but a much more powerful devil!"

As Kingserp faded back into the shadows, a series of green flames soon encircled John, bringing with them a palpable surge of dark power drawing nearer.

"Are you John? The mortal who has vanquished the Flame Knight and the Corruptor?"

A voice, fiery as if ablaze, resonated near John, its distance indiscernible.

"Indeed, I am the mortal who has defeated not just two Devils but many more. The others were merely exiles you cast into our Order Faction," John retorted confidently.

"I've been seeking you. I wish for you to return to the Dark Realm!"

The demonic voice sounded again, this time evidently closer, as if the entity was lurking in the darkness, observing John's predicament.

Faced with an unseen Devil, John had to tread carefully, uncertain of the extent of the entity's powers.

"Even if I were to ally with you, I cannot return to the Dark Realm. I've only just escaped from there, and I lack the strength to defeat the Mystery Saints."

Initially inclined to deceive, John reconsidered and opted for honesty, realizing his precarious situation within the seal.

Provoking the Devil might lead to a more severe defeat, and although the loss of experience and equipment was not his primary concern, John was more interested in gleaning valuable information from the encounter.

"I am well aware that you are no match for the Mystery Saints. I never expected you to defeat them. My only wish is for you to escort me back to the Dark Realm," the concealed Devil revealed its true intention candidly.

This revelation triggered a critical realization in John's mind.

The Devil before him might be one of those exiled to the Order Faction after being defeated by the Mystery Saints.

With the Dark Realm's Devils vanquished, those banished acquired formidable dark powers.

These Devils were keen to return to the Dark Realm to absorb the unclaimed dark powers, which could potentially elevate their strength to levels surpassing the ordinary dark Devils, nearing that of a Dark Emperor.

Lost in contemplation, John didn't realize that his changing expressions had betrayed his thoughts to the lurking Devil.

"It seems you've grasped the essence of my true intentions. Now, it's time for you to make your final decision. Agree to my proposal, and I will form a pact with you, allowing your release. Should you choose to decline, I must warn you not to take offense at my forthcoming lack of hospitality. Your power is immense, and eliminating you would yield significant benefits for me," the concealed Devil proposed, laying out the stark choices before John.