He did not slow for a single breath, pushing his speed to its final limit. Blink after blink, he tore fresh rifts, short Spatial Folds that feasted on his dwindling essence until the malignant presence chasing him finally dulled and the suffocating aura of oblivion fell away. Only then did he allow himself to falter, plummeting like a spent meteor into a vine-choked crevice that opened into a narrow, hidden cave.
Thud! Jared hit the stone floor hard, coughed, and spat more clotted blood. His face bleached to the shade of ash, his breathing ragged and broken. That frantic escape had drained more than half his celestial energy, and nearly all his will.
Gavin and Yvette tumbled beside him, dizzy but alive; Jared’s protection had spared them anything worse than bruises.
The small Fire Unicorn, eyes wide with alarm, nosed up to him. It licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and whimpered, low and mournful.
Jared took half an hour to steady himself and catch his breath.
The coppery taste of blood ebbed behind his teeth as the tempest raging through his meridians finally calmed. His organs still throbbed, and his reserves of celestial energy felt hollowed out, yet the worst of the backlash subsided.
The hand that struck from afar… Whoever commands it stands on a plane I can barely fathom, he reflected, the enormity of Level Ten’s dangers settling over him like cold mist.
“S-Sir… Are you all right?” Gavin pushed himself upright, tiger-striped skin slick with sweat, gratitude, and lingering dread tangled in his voice.
The man’s words trembled. Beside him, Yvette watched Jared with wide, earnest eyes, worry painted across every delicate feature.
“I’ll live… I just need some rest,” Jared rasped, waving off their concern.
He rose on one knee, gaze cutting toward the cave mouth. Outside, wind combed through black pines while a hush draped the mountains. His eyes hardened to flint.
“The one who intervened carries power fit for the Infinite Soul Demon Sect’s upper echelon, perhaps even their Sect Master.”
Terror seized both beast-clan warriors. The Sect Leader of the Infinite Soul Demon Sect was an infamous figure across Level Ten.
“But… Why would you…” Gavin began, the question faltering as he tried to understand why Jared chose to rescue them and invite trouble.
Jared met their eyes. “Old grudges bind me to that sect… You called this range the Myriad Beast Mountains; tell me, who are you, exactly?”
“Disciples of the Myriad Beast Sect,” Gavin answered, tapping a clawed hand to his chest. “I am Gavin Stone, she is Yvette Shadowstep. We patrol the outer ridges, keeping intruders away and… fending off harassment when we can.” Gavin’s voice shrank on the final words.
Jared inclined his head, weighing the name.
The Myriad Beast Sect—local, entrenched, and openly hostile to the Infinite Soul Demon Sect—could prove invaluable.
These two, still shaking from battle, were the first thread in that tapestry. Saving them had already sown a seed of goodwill.
He glanced at the pair, spirits rattled but alive, and at the small Fire Unicorn pressed loyally against his calf.
Soul Devourer lurks within that sect, surrounded by a fortress of fiends. I can’t charge in blind. For now, the beasts’ territory may serve as both my haven and my information source alike.
“We can’t linger,” he said, standing fully despite the pallor that ghosted his cheeks. “That power might send another claw in its wake.”
His voice sharpened, all business. “We move. Somewhere discreet, defensible. Do you know any hidden shelters nearby?”
Hope flickered between Gavin and Yvette. An ally with strength, and a vendetta against their enemy, was more than fortune; it was deliverance!
“Yes, sir. We have several secret outposts. Follow us!” Gavin Stone forced himself upright.
Crimson smeared the tawny fur along his ribs, but the beast-blooded scout set his jaw and refused to stagger.
Every muscle remembered these caverns better than any map, and pain alone would not keep him from guiding the stranger who had saved his life. A ragged breath hissed between his fangs. He beckoned once, then started forward, limping yet unbowed.
Jared answered the silent summons with a single, steady nod. He scooped the small Fire Unicorn into his arms, its ember-bright mane crackling softly against his chest, and followed Gavin into the deeper dark where torchlight surrendered to pitch-black stone.
