Chapter 167: Chapter167-The Lost Kingdom
"Just some trivial matters that piled up, making it quite a headache. I hope our late-night visit isn't disturbing you?" Your next chapter awaits at m,vlempyr.
"Not at all! Come in quickly. I'll have someone prepare rooms for you. There are plenty of empty rooms in the palace that can be tidied up quickly for you to move in."
"That's good to hear. Anyway, Elaria and Lily might need to stay for a while. If they become a nuisance, you'll have to bear with them, haha..."
"Of course not! I'm actually delighted to have everyone back. Come in, come in!"
Elowen welcomed them in and immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared. Despite John's repeated refusals, Elowen's enthusiasm left him no room to decline.
"So, John, will you be staying for a while too? It would be great if you could train these youngsters."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I probably can't stay. I might have to leave, though I'll return frequently."
"That's fine too. By the way, where are Exiled Immortal, Qing, and Helena? I don't see them."
At this, John's smile visibly froze for a moment.
"We had some disagreements about our next destination, so we decided to split up temporarily. It's for the best, really. A place like Spartonia isn't suitable for the three of us."
"Spartonia? I can understand that..."
Savage, primitive, violent. Even thousands of miles away, Spartonia's reputation precedes it, and the stories are quite exaggerated.
"So, John, where do you plan to go?"
"For now, I'll stay in Talcavano. Once I finish my business here, I'll head to the Silent Sea, to Atlantis."
Hearing this, Elowen's eyes lit up.
"Atlantis... it really exists? I thought it was just a legend..."
"If gods can be real, why not a lost kingdom?"
"That's true... By the way, John, you gave me those weapons today. I thought it would be too easy to just hand them to those kids, so I added a test. They had to choose warriors from the guards and last ten minutes against them to pass.
John, why don't you guess who passed the test?"
"I might not be able to guess everyone who passed, but there are two people I'm certain didn't make it: Babylon and Eden. Did they pass?"
Elowen immediately gave a thumbs up and smiled, "John, you hit the nail on the head. They didn't pass and got beaten pretty badly. They're still being treated by the Priest."
"If their injuries are severe, I can help," Lily suddenly offered, breaking her long silence and surprising Elowen.
"That's right!
With Lily, a professional Priest, we don't have to worry about those kids getting hurt!
This is fantastic.
Lily, you know, our elven Priests aren't very skilled in healing magic, so the treatment process is particularly slow. But with you here, I'm relieved!"
"Actually, there's not much else I can do, just help with healing."
"Oh no, don't say that. You've already been a great help, truly!"
"Elowen, don't scare Lily."
"Sorry, sorry, Elaria. I'm just too excited. It's strange, you know, I used to lead a squad of a dozen people, but I've never been this excited. I guess John's ideas really hit the mark."
"This is just the basics. Once they grow a bit, I'll teach you the advanced stuff. Within three months, I guarantee you'll have a reliable team."
"I'll look forward to it!"
...
By the time the banquet ended, it was already midnight. John thought about it and decided to stay at the habitat.
It wasn't the right time to storm into the City Lord's mansion and take out Caliban and his men.
He would make plans the next day.
However, the events of the day kept troubling John, making it hard for him to sleep.
Although he didn't want to see his team split up, he wondered what he would do if that day ever came.
Thinking about this, John sighed softly, careful not to disturb Elaria's rest.
He stood up and decided to take a walk outside the palace.
Being in the central area of the habitat, it was very safe, and no one would intrude.
Elowen had stationed guards only where necessary.
John greeted the night guard and then sat down on the steps.
Recently, things had been unusually peaceful.
The Apostle had not awakened, and there had been no activity from the Divine Emissary.
Yet, John had delayed for so long that he was running out of time.
"Speaking of which, I wonder where that [Deception] guy has gone. No news at all."
"Why, thinking about me?" A familiar voice came from behind him. John turned sharply, but there was no one there.
"Don't bother looking. I can't show myself here. Leave this place and find somewhere to talk. It would be troublesome if someone saw and we had to explain."
"It's really you? Where have you been all this time?"
"Atlantis. Such a beautiful place, a dreamlike kingdom lost under the sea. But sadly..."
"Sadly what?"
John eagerly pressed for more, but this time, [Deception] didn't answer.
With no other choice, John left the palace and walked into the night.
Finding a secluded corner, John spoke again, "You can show yourself now. What did you mean by 'sadly' earlier?"
"I came here to tell you about this. On my way to Atlantis, I sensed the presence of a Divine Emissary. After infiltrating the place, I soon confirmed their identity."
The emissary who worships the God of Light and Prophecy has now become an honored guest of the kingdom of Atlantis.
The king of Atlantis treats every word he says as gospel.
Moreover, I don't know what methods that guy used, but he has managed to transfer a still-sleeping Apostle to Atlantis.
[Gluttony] is on the verge of awakening."
Upon hearing this, John's face changed dramatically.
"The Divine Emissary and the Apostle have joined forces?"
"To be precise, it's not an alliance but exploitation. That guy used awakening as a condition, and [Gluttony] agreed to serve him.
Once Gluttony awakens, it will devour almost half of Atlantis, turning into a mountain of flesh thousands of meters high.
At that point, unless a god intervenes, no one will be able to stop that monster."
"Is there any way to reverse the situation?"
"That's the crux of the problem. Gluttony's awakening is progressing much faster than I expected.
At this rate, it will fully awaken in less than a month, possessing all its power. A true demigod! Unlike the half-baked [Rage], this one is in a different league."
As [Deception] described, this was indeed bad news. The already limited time was further compressed.
If they couldn't stop Gluttony before it fully awakened, the entire world could be consumed by it.
"I... I'll handle my current affairs as quickly as possible and head to Atlantis immediately."
"How long will you need?"
"Three days. No, two days. The situation is tricky, but I need time to come up with a plan."
"Just hurry. The situation is already out of control, with unforeseen changes constantly emerging.
Time is tight, and the task is urgent. Don't forget our agreement. I'll be leaving soon to return to Atlantis to find a solution.
When you arrive, find me here.
Remember, come alone.
Although I don't mind if you bring companions to help share the burden, the emissary of the God of Light and Prophecy is no easy opponent."
"I understand. I'll be quick."