Chapter 5427

Jared stepped across the threshold with Aurelius cradled against his chest, the monarch’s breath barely a whisper. At the center of the hall sat Artemis Lughlin, the sect leader of the Herb Sect and former royal physician. Draped in violet silk, she looked little more than thirty. Refinement clung to her like fragrance to a blossom; the assured poise of a healer lingered in the lift of her brows and the steadiness of her gaze.

Artemis rose, skirts sighing across the polished floor. Her eyes widened as she recognized the battered face against Jared’s shoulder. “King Aurelius-what in the heavens has befallen you? And you-who are you, that carries a king in your arms?”

“My name is Jared Chance,” he replied, words tumbling out on shallow breaths. “His Majesty shielded our retreat and was struck down by Soul Devourer. Level six is overrun-demonic souls everywhere. Only you possess the skill to save him. I beg your help!”

Artemis’s expression hardened. She swept a hand toward her waiting disciples. “Bring His Majesty to the meditation room. Fetch a vial of Clarity Pills and an armful of Life Extension Pills. We begin at once-every heartbeat matters.”

The disciples answered in unison, then lifted the unconscious king with the care one grants sacred relics, hurrying down a lantern-lit corridor that smelled of crushed mint and drying roots.

Artemis turned back to Jared. “Come with me. I need every detail of his injury if I’m to craft the proper cure.”

In a book-lined study, Jared recounted the desperate duel: how Aurelius had clashed against Soul Devourer, how the priceless Ritual Manual was cast aside to slow pursuit, how demonic cultivators hounded them across mountains and ravines. He spoke until his throat ached, and the oil lamp beside them burned low.