A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 5807

He did not answer immediately. A small, unhurried silence settled over the inferno-lit cavern, as though he wished the crackle of molten stone to speak first.

Jared glanced at Clara, who lay off to one side, a streak of blood glimmering against her pale robes, then let his calm gaze climb back to Reiner. "So you're the Flame-Sword Venerable," he said, his voice cool enough to hiss against the heat. "Clara's master—correct?"

Reiner lifted his chin, pride flaring in ember-bright eyes. "I am. Now answer me, boy. Where did you learn the Blaze Stride?"

Jared merely tilted his head, a faint, icy smile cutting across his mouth. "Why should I indulge your curiosity? Instead, explain something to me. A master maims his own disciple without hearing the whole story—what lesson does that teach? She led them here to save them, nothing more, nothing less. Where exactly is the crime in that?"

Reiner barked, "Impudence!" The word cracked like a whip, shaking sparks from the cavern roof.

"How I discipline my disciples is none of your concern," he growled, every syllable scattering sparks. "The Blazefire Secret Realm is my retreat. First rule—no outsider sets foot within its flames. She broke that rule by bringing you in. I spared her cultivation only for the sake of our bond. Answer me now, or I will shackle your soul and scour your memories myself."

Jared's expression did not so much as tremble; a mocking curve tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Your retreat? Your rules? Tell me, are you certain this sanctuary actually belongs to you? Because it feels more like something the old Fire Demon Lord left behind."

Reiner recoiled as though thunder-struck. "What?"

The authority he had been projecting shattered for an instant; the molten air around him wavered, and flames along the rock face guttered. A shock greater than his earlier outrage swept across his features—raw dread mingling with disbelief.

His pupils tightened to pinpoints. "How do you know the Fire Demon Lord? Who... Who are you really?"

Certainty settled in Jared's chest like a well-placed stone.

So my hunch was right after all. He had found the name familiar when Linden first mentioned the Blazefire Secret Realm, and Reiner's reaction made the connection undeniable.

"Who am I?" Jared met Reiner's trembling stare. "Since you recognize the Blaze Stride and have heard of the Fire Demon Lord, there's no harm in telling you. The Fire Demon Lord is an old friend of mine. He left this sanctuary behind, and as his friend, I have every right to bring a few companions here for shelter."

"Friend?" Reiner echoed, brows arching. He laughed—a booming, jagged sound that ricocheted across the lava walls. "Ridiculous! The Fire Demon Lord has lived for tens of thousands of years. You've barely stepped a century into the Human Immortal Realm, yet you dare call him your friend? Absurd!"

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