Chapter 172: Chapter172-The Lost Kingdom
"Enough, Qing! You can't just think about your own fun!"
Seeing Qing still wanting to continue fighting, Exiled Immortal rushed forward, covered Qing's mouth, and said helplessly, "At least wait until we find a place to stay before you start another fight!"
"Come on, we're in Spartonia now, isn't it all the same where we stay? I've been stuck in that godforsaken Talcavano for so long. Let me have some fun, just one more fight, the last one!"
Qing casually pulled Exiled Immortal off his shoulder, laughed heartily, and walked towards a passing burly man, patting him on the shoulder, saying, "Come on, let's have a fight!"
"Ahhh! I give up!"
"Forget it, Exiled Immortal. Let's go find a place to stay and leave him be."
As it turned out, once Qing arrived in Spartonia, he truly felt at home, quickly adapting to and integrating into Spartonia's fierce style.
On the other hand, despite being prepared, Exiled Immortal and Helena were still quite shocked.
As soon as they entered, Exiled Immortal was challenged by a burly man who looked similar in size to Qing. After learning that there were no restrictions on weapons, Exiled Immortal used a move called Sword Rain to subdue him, only to be accused of lacking sportsmanship.
How was that unsportsmanlike? I don't get it...
Leaving Qing, who was obsessed with fighting, aside for the moment, Exiled Immortal and Helena continued deeper into Spartonia City and finally found a place to stay.
The room was somewhat shabby, with just a bed and a table and hardly anything else. Even so, it cost 2000 silver coins per night.
But there was no choice. After traveling so far, this was the only place they found. Helena immediately booked three rooms and paid for a month in advance.
However, during the checkout process, the tavern owner thoughtfully asked Exiled Immortal if he wanted to have a fight. If he won, they could get a 15% discount on their lodging fee.
Exiled Immortal gladly accepted the challenge and won easily.
After all, Exiled Immortal was now level 55, with stats significantly boosted. Dealing with a tavern owner was naturally a piece of cake.
"It's just... I'm still having a hard time accepting this. It's so fierce, getting into fights at the slightest disagreement?"
Exiled Immortal plopped down on the bed. It was hard and cold, much worse than the accommodations in Talcavano.
"I thought you were mentally prepared for this. If you're regretting it now, we can still go back."
"I'm not going back. I don't know how to face John. He must be really upset, right?"
"Then you need to adapt here quickly. Let's gather information, advance the main storyline and dungeons, and not let John down."
"Big Sis, how long do you think we'll stay in Spartonia? Will we eventually go our separate ways and never contact each other again?"
"That's impossible. We just have a temporary difference of opinion and are acting separately for now. Stop overthinking. Instead of worrying, figure out how to get Qing back."
...
Meanwhile, in the Deep Forest.
John hesitated for a long time but finally decided to tell Elaria and Lily the truth about the situation.
The truth would eventually come out, and no matter how much John tried to sugarcoat it, he couldn't change the facts. Since he couldn't hide it, he decided to be honest.
"So... you know it's impossible for us to stay while you go to Atlantis alone, right?"
Elaria sighed and continued, "No matter how dangerous it is, we have to go with you. I believe Lily feels the same way, right, Lily?"
"That's right! We've become strong. We don't need to hide behind you, John. Even if we face danger, we can face it together."
"Even so, in Atlantis, we might encounter the most dangerous situations we've faced so far. Honestly, I'm still not sure if I can come back alive from Atlantis. So..."
"Then we face it together. There's absolutely no room for negotiation on this matter!"
Facing Elaria's determined gaze, John opened his mouth but could only sigh and say nothing more.
"Time is running out. I plan to leave for Atlantis tomorrow. Once I arrive and confirm it's safe, I'll come back to get both of you. This is my final stance. I can't watch you walk into danger. If you can't agree to this, I'll have to force you to stay."
With that said, Elaria and Lily exchanged a glance, nodded reluctantly, and agreed.
"You must come back to get us."
"I promise, I won't go back on my word."
...
At dawn the next day, John set off, returning to Talcavano first. After explaining the situation to Uncle Mac, Uncle Mac decided to stay in Talcavano temporarily. Once the matter was settled, he would continue the journey with John and the others.
Time was of the essence, so John didn't insist further. After settling Uncle Mac, he set off for Atlantis.
Located in the far east of the game map, Atlantis lay deep within the Tranquil Sea, thousands of kilometers from Talcavano. Even at John's speed, it would take nearly two days of non-stop flying to reach the Tranquil Sea. Although slow, this was John's limit.
As for the flight, it was far more tedious than one might imagine. The sky was covered in clouds, making it difficult to discern direction. Fortunately, Seraphina volunteered to take control of John's body to navigate to the Tranquil Sea, allowing John to think over their strategy during the journey. John gladly accepted.
"Speaking of which, Seraphina, what do you know about the God of Light and Prophecy? Is He on the gods' side?"
"You mean Apollo? That guy is just a fool desperate for his father's approval. He doesn't have a clear stance. To be precise, whatever stance Zeus takes, so does he. I think you're more interested in Apollo's strength. Let me put it this way, he's very powerful, possibly stronger than Tyr and Hera.
Even if he's not as strong as Hades, he's still one of the top combatants on Mount Olympus. After all, the number of his followers is unimaginably large. Who wouldn't yearn for light?"
"So, as Apollo's emissary, his strength shouldn't be weak either, right?"
"Hard to say. It depends on what powers Apollo has bestowed upon him. If Apollo granted him the ability to prophesy, well... he would undoubtedly be the most troublesome opponent you've ever faced. The ability to foresee the future means that in his presence, all your preparations, plans, and arrangements are exposed. So, John, it's very likely that everything happening now is within his expectations.
Have you thought about how to deal with him?"
Hearing this, John furrowed his brows and sighed, "Honestly, I haven't figured it out yet. But I think, since I was able to deceive time and restart everything, it shouldn't be too hard to outsmart his ability to foresee the future, right?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, the power of [Deception] is now within you as well. That makes things easier. Maybe you really can deceive those eyes."
...
Meanwhile, in the Lost City of Atlantis!
Miles seemed to sense something, slowly opened his eyes, and looked in a particular direction. His fiery gaze seemed capable of piercing through everything.
"Though I glimpsed a corner of the future, I didn't expect it to come so soon. Our time is running out, [gluttony]."
"How much longer until my seal is broken?"
"If you fully cooperate with me, I can have you free in no more than two weeks. But if you continue to be as uncooperative and passive as you are now, who knows how long it will take?"
"...What do you mean?"
"[Gluttony], stop pretending. Don't you understand why the progress is so slow? You know the reason.
Give me your soul imprint, or our future holds only death!"