Jared turned his gaze toward him. “Do you know him?”
“Of course, Mr. Niel is well-known in Beast City. He likes to throw his weight around,” Ezio said.
Jared’s gaze sharpened. “He can’t anymore. I’ve already crippled his legs.”
“You’ve been incredibly reckless, Jared!” Ezio exclaimed. “Mr. Teegan’s father is one of the Three Beast Generals. By crippling his legs, you’ve really stirred up trouble!”
“Trouble?” Jared’s lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile. “I intend to kill him too…”
Without hesitation, Jared drove the Dragonslayer Sword forward with vicious precision. In one swift motion, he flicked the blade, extracting the beast core from Niel’s chest with brutal efficiency.
Before Niel could even plead for mercy, his life was extinguished in an instant, his body left lifeless on the ground. The sight sent a chill through the siblings, their minds reeling from the shocking brutality.
They were left stunned, unable to fathom that Jared would dare to kill the son of one of the Three Beast Generals.
The sheer audacity of it took their breath away.
Jared, his voice cool and unshaken, broke the silence. “I’ll tell you now-the reason I was imprisoned in the first place was because I struck this man. Killing him today means I’ve sealed my fate. The Buckley family will hunt me down with relentless fury. Their wrath will know no bounds. So, if you value your lives, don’t follow me any further. It’s too dangerous.”
In truth, Jared did that to intimidate Mia and Ezio, hoping to push them away and stop them from following him any further.
He knew he would leave Beast City at any moment. Meanwhile, Mia and Ezio still had their lives to live in the city. If they became entangled with the Buckley family, it would spell disaster for them. Jared could slip away unnoticed, but they would face the full brunt of the Buckley family’s wrath, with no way to escape.
“Ezio, let’s go…” Mia tugged at her brother’s sleeve, her voice tinged with urgency. After all, their connection to Jared was purely coincidental. There was no deep bond between them, no shared history or profound attachment. Mia had never been close to Jared in any intimate way, nor did any meaningful relationship exist between them. It simply didn’t make sense for them to continue following him, especially when the danger surrounding him grew ever more apparent.
“Mia, Jared’s in serious trouble now. We can’t just abandon him-that would be too heartless,” Ezio said firmly, his tone resolute. “After all, you’ve already been intimate with him. You’re his woman now. If the Buckley family decides to cause trouble for Jared, I won’t just stand by and do nothing. Outside of Beast City, their influence is meaningless. There’s nothing to fear. As long as we stay clear of the city, they won’t have a chance of finding us!”
Mia was visibly stunned by her brother’s words, staring at him in disbelief. It felt as if Ezio had undergone a sudden transformation. What Mia didn’t realize was that her brother’s decision to follow Jared wasn’t just driven by loyalty-it was also influenced by Jared’s undeniable strength and his knowledge of the celestial crystal vein mine.
“Ezio, you’ve got it all wrong. Jared and I…” Mia began, trying to explain. She had never been intimate with Jared.
“Mia, stop,” Ezio interrupted firmly, cutting her off mid-sentence. “Jared saved my life. Can you really turn your back on him now, knowing he’s in danger? Could you leave him to face it all alone?” His voice was laced with conviction. “If we do that, are we even human?”
His words struck a chord, leaving Mia speechless and conflicted.
If Mia continued to explain, it would only make her appear heartless and devoid of conscience.
Realizing that persuading the siblings against following him was futile, Jared sighed in resignation. “Fine, you can follow me. But stay close and don’t wander off. If danger comes your way, don’t expect me to be able to protect you.”
“Relax, Jared,” Ezio replied confidently, patting Jared’s shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. “I know this area like the back of my hand. Even if someone’s after us, I can find a way to keep you hidden.”
Jared gave a wry smile, leading them southward, covering nearly a hundred miles before a towering tree finally came into view. This must be the place Gordon mentioned.
