A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 5893

Jared drew a steadying breath, the molten air around the Heart of Earthfire rippling against his skin. "What would you need the Pentacarna Tower for?"

Gerald's eyelids lowered, as though he could already feel veins and sinew reforming around the scraps of his spirit. "To condense my soul and to resculpt my physical body. My soul remnant is too frail to stray beyond the Heart of Earthfire. But inside the tower—where time crawls, and the laws bend—I can forge a solid soul, seize a new vessel, or remake a physical body through a secret technique."

A faint, humorless smile cracked the elder's lips. "Don't worry. I will not use your magical item for free. In addition to the coordinates of the Jadeheart Marrow, I will impart to you the complete Earthfire True Scripture—and help reveal the traitor within Earthfire Pavilion."

Jared's gaze sharpened. "You know who the traitor is?"

"Even though all that remains of me is a soul remnant, the Heart of Earthfire is still bound to Earthfire Pavilion's defensive formation. Because of that, I can sense anything that disturbs fire-type energy within the Pavilion," Gerald replied with a cold chuckle. "Three nights ago, Elliot Ember secretly used a message talisman. Its aura carried the same stench of the Malevolent Path Hall that still clings to your robes."

Elliot Ember! It really is him!

Cold glittered behind Jared's eyes, bright as sparks that leapt from a fresh-struck blade.

"So?" Gerald asked, voice echoing through the furnace-lit cavern. "Do you agree to this trade?"

Jared let the silence stretch until the magma below popped like distant gunfire. At last, he nodded once. "I will. But on three conditions."

"Go on."

"First, your information on the Jadeheart Marrow must be complete, and you will help me secure it. Second, while I aid you in tempering your soul, you must not take any actions that would be detrimental to me. Third, the proof against the traitor must be irrefutable."

Gerald barked a laugh that sent ripples across the molten pool. "You're a cautious young man, huh? Very well, I agree. However, I also have a condition of my own."

A flare of suspicion lifted Jared's brow. "Name it."

"After you claim the Jadeheart Marrow, you will help me fashion flesh anew. For that, I require a single drop of your Golden Dragon blood essence as the catalyst. Of course, I will reward you handsomely. You don't have to worry about that."

Jared's fingers tightened. Golden Dragon blood essence was no simple gift; each drop carried a shard of his very life.

Yet one drop of Jadeheart Marrow would resurrect the woman who anchored Vermilion Demon Lord's heart—and the demon lord had risked his own hide for Jared more times than Jared could count.

There was a price to pay, yet loyalty mattered just as much.

Finally, Jared nodded. "All right. But only a single drop—no more."

"Deal."

Gerald's body—pure flame sculpted into the rough outline of an old man—shivered like a bonfire whipped by sudden wind. "Shall we begin now? I have waited far too long to feel my soul whole again."

Jared lifted a hand, the gesture calm yet immovable. "Not yet. I still need time to mend every wound and gather my strength. Besides, someone is still waiting for me outside."

That someone, of course, referred to Vermilion Demon Lord.

Gerald's flames settled to a steady glow. "Very well. I'll give you three days. On the third, we'll officially begin. As for Elliot..."

After sharing everything he knew, his blazing silhouette unraveled, ember by ember, and sank back into the molten pool until nothing remained but shimmering magma.

Silence reclaimed the cavern. The air cooled just enough to pretend nothing extraordinary had occurred, yet Jared knew his plans now required an entirely new map.

He possessed a trail to the Jadeheart Marrow, the traitor's face was clear, and an enigmatic elder of living fire had entered the game.

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