Chapter 5604

“I will give you the incantation now,” the Demon Lord said, voice suddenly gentle. “Speak it once, and an envoy will appear to escort you the rest of the way to level nine.”

“Who exactly is this envoy?” Jared asked, curiosity sharpening the edge of his words.

“One of my former lieutenants. In my current state, I cannot activate the rune myself—so you must.” With that, the Demon Lord breathed the ancient syllables straight into Jared’s mind.

Jared recited the chant. The golden runes ignited, flames of azure smoke spiraling upward until the parchment itself seemed to burn a hole through existence.

Where the smoke dispersed, a vast whirlpool of light unfurled—its rim spinning with silent thunder, its center a doorway to places mortals rarely dreamed and seldom survived.

From the vortex, a lone silhouette drifted forward, as if walking out of memory and myth alike.

The newcomer saw Jared, froze, and blinked twice, astonishment rippling across half-formed features.