Chapter 194: Chapter194-The Elimination of Gluttony
"Deal!" Windsor stopped, a slight smile curling his lips.
"If you had said you were willing to lend me the artifact earlier, I would have agreed right away. Of course, I have one condition: you must inform our master to apply pressure on the underworld. If Hades intervenes again, no one will be able to stop him unless the gods themselves come."
"I will relay your request to our master."
"Good. So, where's the artifact? Give it to me now."
Windsor gestured, and the black-robed man sitting at the head extended his hand.
Instantly, the sky darkened, filled with swirling clouds mixed with wind and snow.
The black clouds grew heavier, and above them, fierce lightning seemed ready to tear the sky apart, followed by deafening thunder.
The louder the thunder, the wider Windsor's smile grew.
"Take it, and set off."
"Excellent. You cowards stay here and wait for my good news! Sara, let's go."
Hearing this, Hunt stood up and silently followed Windsor out. Watching their departing figures, the man sighed deeply.
"Let's hope those two can kill John and complete the mission that Miles failed."
"You're relying on that crazy woman? She might just go insane again! I don't understand why you'd rather give the artifact to her instead of letting us handle it. Staying in this wretched snow mountain, what's the point?"
"Before leaving, the God of Prophecy gave me a prediction. Our final battle with John will take place on this snow mountain. To this day, the prophecy is unfolding step by step. If, as the God of Prophecy foretold, Windsor and Sara fail to kill John on this trip..."
As he spoke, the man stood up. Under his hood, his pale skin became visibly flushed.
"We must be here, fully prepared to face John."
---
"Found you!"
Sensing the aura in the pit, John exhaled a long breath. It hadn't been a waste to spend nearly two days searching. He had finally found the location where [Gluttony] was sealed. If he had come a few days later, Miles might have succeeded in awakening [Gluttony].
"Deception, come here."
Calling the wandering Deception back, John asked sternly, "We've found him. Is there any way to kill him and seize his Authority without breaking the seal?"
"No."
Deception refused immediately without hesitation. Seeing John's unfriendly gaze, Deception quickly explained, "Don't look at me like that. Have you forgotten the situation with Lust? He's sealed now. With our means, there's no way to kill him directly. No matter how much you glare at me, there's nothing I can do.
However, we can forcefully break the seal and make [Gluttony] awaken prematurely. In this way, his power will be reduced to a tenth, and he won't pose much of a threat."
"Then why are you just standing there? Hurry up and get started."
"I'm just explaining the principle to you. I've noticed your attitude towards me has become worse and worse lately, John. You can't just target me because my strength has weakened. After all, I've helped you so much before. Both emotionally and logically, you should give me the respect I deserve."
Ignoring Deception's incessant complaints, John rolled his eyes. According to Deception, to forcibly break the seal, they would need to unleash Demigod-tier power to tear it apart. Miles could have done it, but he needed a fully restored [Gluttony], so he didn't.
Right now, with the combined strength of John and Deception, it was still challenging to unleash Demigod-tier power. There were ways, such as returning the Authority to Deception. In no more than three days, Deception could regain peak power, but John vetoed this idea.
John had clearly heard Deception's earlier grumblings. For someone always considering betraying him, he couldn't be trusted. Giving him power would only result in him abandoning John without hesitation in times of danger.
Deception was furious. After all the time they had known each other, didn't his actions prove he was a trustworthy partner? How many times had he saved John from peril? Now, John simply refused to acknowledge it!
But there was no helping it—John held the power now.
"I've done everything I can to weaken the seal to its thinnest state. You only have one chance. If you can't tear the seal with a single strike, it will only strengthen [Gluttony's] resistance."
Deception stood up, looking at the flowing magic circle in front of him. He took a deep breath and continued, "Are you ready?"
"Let's give it a try..."
"Give it a try? John, are you serious? If you can't do it, you should go back and get Lily, put that ring on her, and let her do it. You only have one chance. Do you think you'll get another opportunity? If you fail, we won't be able to stop [Gluttony's] awakening!"
"I know exactly what I'm doing; you don't need to repeat it," John interrupted Deception, sliding the ring onto his finger.
Time was of the essence. It was no longer feasible for John to return to Atlantis, help Lily overcome her fears, and make the long journey back to the Silent Depths. Moreover, the imminent threat of the Divine Emissaries left no room for hesitation.
With this in mind, John took a deep breath. With Seraphina's help, he selected the most powerful light-based spell. After setting up the magic circle, he began to chant.
Hearing the arcane incantations flow from John's mouth, Deception understood that there was no turning back. John was determined to resolve [Gluttony] here and now, and further persuasion was futile.
[As a devout follower, I offer this earnest prayer to you. Please descend with divine wrath and incinerate all!]
In an instant, a blinding light erupted from the magic circle beneath John's feet, encompassing the seal that held [Gluttony]. The purifying radiance rapidly eroded the seal, and within a few breaths, it was forcibly torn apart!
Caught within the holy light, [Gluttony] had no way to escape and let out a piercing scream.
"Damn it, damn it! I should never have trusted you, Miles!"
Unaware of the outside world, [Gluttony] didn't know that Miles was dead and that someone else was casting the spell. Unfortunately, he wouldn't have the chance to find out.
The surrounding seawater evaporated almost instantly from the soaring light, briefly creating a vacuum under the sea!
Standing at the center of the magic circle, bathed in light, John looked like a deity, gazing down at [Gluttony].
"Your Authority, I claim it."
…
Meanwhile, in the skies above the Silent Sea, Windsor stared at the light beam that seemed to tear through the clouds, filled with apprehension.
"This aura... it's the power of that lord. But isn't Miles already dead? Sara, what do you think?"
"The aura is largely the same, but there are subtle differences. The user is someone else. It seems John must have acquired some sort of treasure from Miles."
"The power of that strike is almost on par with your full force. No wonder those cowards were all talk and no action; they feared John's strength."
Windsor furrowed her brow, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Judging by that single strike, John's strength was not inferior to hers, causing Windsor to hesitate.
If they were to attack, they might be able to kill John, but it would come at a great cost. One or both of them could die here today.
Seeing Windsor's hesitation, Sara spoke impassively, "What's wrong? Afraid to make a move?"
"If you think you can do it, be my guest. Can you guarantee you could take that hit head-on and come out unscathed? I don't want to risk my life just to have someone else reap the benefits. We have time. I can wait. Once you retrieve the Godslayer Bow, we can reconsider our approach."
"What about the others? How will you deal with them?"
"Deal with them? They can come and kill John themselves if they have the guts. Otherwise, they should shut up!"