A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 5457

Onneas shook her head, silver hair fluttering against blood-stained armor. "I'll be fine. A little rest—nothing more."

"Rest will have to wait," Artemis cut in, worry snapping at every syllable. "Soul Devourer controls Celestia City now. He'll send killers the moment he regains his strength, and this valley will be the first place they search."

The warning shivered through the crowd; hope, so newly kindled, guttered again.

Onneas straightened, pain flaring behind her eyes. "Then hear my proposal," she said, voice low yet certain. "I can open a gate to level eight—territory ruled by the Celestial King Palace. Even Soul Devourer would think twice about chasing us there."

A spark—small, but unmistakable—lit inside every heart present.

Level eight was more than a refuge; it was a rung on the infinite ladder all cultivators longed to climb.

And with the Celestial King Palace standing watch, even a tyrant like Soul Devourer would tread lightly.

"But, Ms. Dusko, your injuries..." Aurelius began, guilt threading through his protest.

Onneas waved him off, though the gesture wavered. "I'm hurt, yes, but I still command enough spatial energy to tear a passage."

A shadow crossed her face. "Yet the rift would be narrow, only wide enough for a handful at a time. Hundreds wait behind us. Moving everyone will take days—maybe longer."

The fragile flame of optimism dimmed once more, as though a cold wind had slipped between them.

There were indeed hundreds—exhausted, bleeding, terrified. A dozen trips, twenty perhaps, would be required. In that span, Soul Devourer's hunters could arrive, and the slaughter would resume.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Yuliana cried, the echo of her plea ricocheting off stone walls.

She hugged her cloak tight, violet eyes wide with fear. "We can't just sit here waiting for Soul Devourer to finish what he started."

Silence took the gorge again, thick and suffocating—an invisible fog of despair that threatened to smother even the strongest resolve.

A spark erupted behind Jared's eyes—swift, bright, undeniable—like flint striking steel in the darkest night.

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