Chapter 225: Chapter225-Some Always Pay the Price
By the time the final team check was conducted, it was clear they had exceeded the 300-person mark—indeed, they had reached 500.
John looked at the crowd before him and took a deep breath.
"I am deeply moved by your willingness to step forward today."
"I will now share everything with you, and you must remember it all."
Though several squad leaders might be remembered by Alastair, after much deliberation, John decided to appoint Leopold as the leader.
They indeed needed someone to guide the team, to prevent unforeseen incidents they couldn't handle.
Almost everyone had emptied half of their backpacks, carrying only the essentials for this mission.
They had even limited their supplies to just the necessities, leaving everything else behind.
They knew what they were about to face was by no means simple.
With only two days left of the final 15-day deadline, it meant they had to finalize everything within this timeframe to ensure no further issues arose!
They didn't linger long but took advantage of the night to depart.
John had also provided them with flying creatures, serving as mounts, swiftly transporting them through the air.
Only by flying could they move faster.
And only in this way could they reach the destination by dawn to activate the magic array!
Alastair had indeed been injured during the day.
But Alastair was no fool, and likely, by the next morning, he would have adjusted all his plans.
This meant they had little time left; they needed to act quickly to resolve everything.
"Get a good rest tonight; tomorrow we face a tough battle."
Tomorrow they would be without Abby and Old Nick's assistance.
From now on, they had to rely solely on themselves.
Archibald also took a deep breath and nodded.
Rosalind chose to activate the formation and had already rendezvoused with the people from the second and third fortresses.
Isabella was leading the team at the second fortress, and Cecilia had taken her brother with her.
After all, they still needed some of their number to draw fire.
It would be unwise for everyone to move at once.
John looked at everyone's weary faces and felt a slight relief in his heart.
At least they could endure the next few days; anything else would have to wait until tomorrow.
But silently...
He glanced at the small sapling-like mark on his arm.
It seemed Abby and Old Nick held many secrets he was unaware of.
What those secrets were, he would have to ponder further.
And then, look more closely into the situation when the time came...
John closed his eyes and pondered deeply.
With Alastair currently possessing only 44% of the power of control, it meant that John had a slight advantage.
As for what would happen next, no one could predict.
The power of control could indeed temporarily enhance a person's level and attributes, but the side effects were severe.
One might find their progress halted or even regressed.
Such damage could be irreversible.
Unless absolutely necessary, no one would choose this path—only a madman would be so reckless.
To think of using such means to advance one's cultivation, then to sacrifice everything...
Fortunately, Alastair was unaware of this.
...
Atop the southern high mountains of the secret realm, Alastair sat on a stone, his face grim as he looked at his palm.
He had noticed a significant drop in his attributes, almost immediately after the fight he had fallen from semigod-tier!
Though it was only one level, it was absurd for him; such a thing had never happened before and it was beyond his imagination.
Once again, he gathered his power in the palm of his hand, staring at the white energy orb, his expression growing intensely serious.
He had a growing sense that as time passed, the power within his body was dissipating faster and faster.
Alastair's control power had already dwindled to 44%.
If this continued, he would have no means to resist!
No, he must resolve everything quickly.
Tomorrow he must eradicate all those vermin!
The Elder was already awaiting his descent into this world, and come what may, Alastair had to settle this matter.
The world would ultimately belong to the Elder, belong to their Dusk Sect!
With this thought, Alastair's spirits soared, and any hesitation vanished as he fixed his gaze on the palm of his hand.
This sensation of being filled with power was truly intoxicating.
Although it was false, it didn't matter; once the Elder truly arrived in this world, Alastair would possess all power!
By then, even so-called figures like Principal Qin or semigod-tier warriors would be mere ants before him!
The three fortresses were actively preparing, everyone anticipating the arrival of the next day.
They had all been waiting for 15 days, yet now they suddenly felt an intense fear.
A semigod-tier warrior had already appeared.
What would they face if things continued this way?
Stronger than a semigod-tier, there would only be the legendary gods!
Could they really prevail against a god when the time came?
Everyone's actions were marked with a question mark; they did not know how to proceed, nor what to say.
But no matter what, they had to strive.
Only by striving to survive would they have a chance to escape!
John looked at the energy cannons on the city walls and began to entertain a different idea.
If what Old Nick said was true, then only absolute power could harm him.
So... could these energy cannons also be considered a form of absolute energy?
Either way, they would find out tomorrow.
The night seemed particularly long and torturous.
John also kept an eye on Isabella's situation.
There were indeed some monster appearances, but after John's intervention, the journey became unusually quiet, without any obstructions.
Still, they remained highly vigilant, for no one knew what might happen next, and drawing Alastair's attention could lead them down a path of no return.
The sky gradually brightened, and everyone was on high alert.
This time, even the small monkeys stood atop the city walls, holding blaststones, ready for battle.
At the same time, everyone felt vibrations coming from the distant ground.
They gripped their weapons tightly, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Countless small creatures roared towards them, and the sky was filled with numerous flying beasts.
Archibald's face instantly turned pale.
It seemed today was nothing like they had imagined.
Even with John's buff, today would still be a grueling battle.
Among the glaring swarm of flying creatures was a colossal skeletal dragon!
Atop its skull stood a figure they had all feared to see in their nightmares last night.
It was Alastair!
Everyone gasped when they saw what he was standing on.
What was going on?
How could there be a dragon?
What was the deal with this dragon? Was it truly a creature of reality?
Alastair was already a semigod-tier warrior, and now possessing a dragon, it was nothing short of a nightmare for them!
Even John's expression turned a few shades graver.
He could distinctly feel that this dragon...
seemed soulless.
This shouldn't be...
Every creature has a soul, even after death, the soul lingers on the body, but this dragon bore no trace of a soul.
Could it be...