Chapter 244: The Plan to Rescue James
After ending the communication with Aron, Irving immediately called over Vicky and the other three.
"The situation here is almost under control, so you can take a break. There are still some matters I need to handle at the castle, so I have to get there quickly."
Exclusive content at m,v,l,e,mpyr
With that, Irving quickly left.
The expressions on Vicky and the others' faces were slightly puzzled. They felt that Irving's tone had been overly anxious.
"Is there some major trouble at the castle?" Wendy asked Sophia and Vicky, her voice tinged with confusion.
Both Sophia and Vicky shook their heads. They didn't actually know what was happening; they just understood that they couldn't hold Irving back.
"No matter what's going on, we shouldn't be too surprised. Irving can handle any unusual situation," Sophia said before quickly leaving.
Vicky, without any hesitation, returned to the real world.
Wendy was left standing alone, her expression slightly worried. However, no matter what concerns she had, she knew she couldn't provide any help to Irving.
Irving arrived at the castle's surroundings in less than fifteen minutes. When he got there, he found Aron trying to calm the anxious crowd of the Green Ivy Group.
"Don't panic too much! Although James is missing, I believe he isn't in any danger, because he is very powerful," Aron reassured the members of the Green Ivy Group, trying to ease their worries.
The members of the Angel Guild stood behind Aron. Although they didn't want to get involved in this matter, they felt it was necessary to support the strongest member of the Angel Guild.
At that moment, Nick suddenly turned around.
He spotted Irving and immediately said to Aron, "Captain Aron, Irving has arrived! We can leave this to him now!"
Aron turned around and indeed saw Irving. He quickly walked over to his side.
"You probably know the situation by now, right? I've just searched every road around the castle, but we haven't found any trace of James. His subordinates are in a state of panic, and I think it's necessary to stabilize their emotions first before we search for James."
Irving agreed with Aron's proposal.
"You're right! Although James's disappearance is a terrible situation for us, we cannot stop the construction of the defense infrastructure around the castle."
After saying this, Irving walked directly in front of James's subordinates.
"I know that you are all very worried about James's disappearance. As James's ally, I am equally concerned about his well-being. I will find James as quickly as possible.
I also understand that some of you may want to join me in this search. However, I believe that having you accompany me won't provide much assistance. What you need to do now is to stay around the castle. Only by doing so can you help speed up the construction of the defense infrastructure. This is essential for defending against the Night Blades' attacks.
James's disappearance may very well be related to the Night Blades. Therefore, your work on the defense infrastructure here will indirectly aid in James's rescue."
Irving's words successfully convinced James's subordinates. After their initial panic, they quickly calmed down and decided to follow Irving's orders to expedite the construction of the defense infrastructure around the castle.
Once James's subordinates settled down, Irving called Aron and Nick over.
"I've formulated a plan to rescue James on my way here. What I just told James's subordinates is genuinely how I feel. I believe there is a very close connection between James's disappearance and the Night Blades."
Irving's statement turned the expressions on Aron and Nick's faces serious. They were certainly willing to fight the Night Blades. However, if the Night Blades had managed to capture James right around the castle, didn't that imply their strength had increased significantly? Would they really succeed in this operation? Aron and Nick were both deeply concerned.
Despite their worries, neither of them expressed their concerns outright. After all, Irving had yet to reveal his rescue plan.
Irving quickly outlined his plan in full.
"My rescue plan is actually quite simple. I hope you two can continue to wander around the castle. This will draw the attention of the Night Blades. If the Night Blades are indeed very powerful, they will likely try to attack you. At that point, I can step in to ensure your safety and use the opportunity to find James."
Although Irving's plan was straightforward, it was indeed the one with the highest chance of success.
After hearing Irving's plan, the worried expressions on Aron and Nick's faces were less pronounced than before. However, this did not mean that they fully agreed with Irving's approach; they still felt that there were certain flaws in his plan.
Aron directly asked Irving, "What if the Night Blades don't attack us? Do we not have any other ways to track their movements? Could this lead to us wasting too much time?"
Aron's concerns were indeed valid.
After nodding, Irving responded, "You're right. If that situation occurs, it would certainly waste a lot of our time. That's why I will be providing you assistance around the castle while also searching for the hidden base of the Night Blades. There's no doubt that James went missing around the castle, so the Night Blades must have a hidden base nearby.
If we can locate their base, our rescue plan for James can succeed."
After saying this, Irving looked at Aron and Nick with genuine sincerity. "I believe you both need to make a decision quickly, because our time is running out. The more time we waste, the worse James's situation will become."
Under Irving's urging, Aron and Nick quickly made their decision.
"You're right. We can only proceed with this plan now."
After the three of them reached a consensus, they immediately took action.
Aron and Nick pretended to search for James as they moved back and forth around the castle. During their search, they didn't pay too much attention to the unusual circumstances surrounding them. Their intention was to appear panicked, which might mislead the Night Blades' judgment.
While Aron and Nick were taking action, Irving observed their movements from a distance. At the same time, he extended his spiritual awareness to search the surrounding area.
Soon, Irving discovered a region imbued with dark energy.
"Could that be the hidden base of the Night Blades?"
After sensing the dark energy, Irving felt that he had finally found a crucial lead. He hurriedly made his way toward the area where the dark energy was concentrated.
However, the moment he arrived, Irving realized he had been deceived.
The dark energy present here had only just appeared. This meant that the Night Blades were likely employing a strategy to lure them away. In an instant, Irving realized that Aron and Nick were probably in danger. He quickly made his way to their location.
Although Irving moved swiftly, he still arrived a bit late. When he reached the area where Aron was, he found Nick had already vanished, leaving Aron alone with a shocked expression, staring ahead.
"What happened? Did you two get attacked by the Night Blades? Where's Nick?" Irving fired off three questions in rapid succession.
Upon hearing Irving's voice, Aron finally came to his senses. "I don't know if we were attacked by the Night Blades. I don't know where Nick went, either. I just saw Nick's body suddenly disappear."
Aron's description left Irving slightly puzzled. He didn't detect any dark energy around Aron, indicating that Nick's disappearance was not caused by a regular member of the Night Blades. Ordinary members could only wield spells powered by dark energy. Only the elders or the top-tier captains of the Night Blades could employ spells made from other forms of power.
"It seems we may have underestimated the cunning of the Night Blades. They must have realized our strategy and adapted accordingly," Irving said, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.
In Irving's view, his plan had essentially failed. Not only had he not found James, but now Nick had also vanished unexpectedly. He needed to rescue both James and Nick simultaneously.
Irving glanced at Aron and believed that relying solely on their combined strength might not lead to quick success in the coming actions. Consequently, he decided to contact Benjamin.
At that moment, Benjamin was not near the castle; he was at the headquarters of Ocean Group, dealing with security matters. When he received Irving's call, he had a pretty good idea of what was happening.
"Do you need my assistance right now?" Benjamin asked directly once the call connected.
"Yes, I need you to come to the castle immediately! James and Nick have suddenly gone missing, and I believe their disappearances are the work of the Night Blades," Irving briefly summarized the situation.
"I'll head over right away! Until I arrive, you two should avoid taking any further actions!" Benjamin replied quickly. Although Benjamin was not as powerful as Irving on an individual level, he had encountered many conspiracies in the past and was better equipped to handle the Night Blades' schemes than either Irving or Aron.