The Man’s Decree – Chapter 5229

"So that's how it fits together..." Jared's voice came low and steady, the words hanging in the charged air of the ruin.

"The Fallen immortal Valley does hide a tunnel to level five, and the only way to pry it open is by awakening the core ward sealed here. That's why every power risked the valley's curse. We were never the true quarry, they were after the doorway all along..."

"Which means," Flaxseed rasped, frowning as the truth curdled in his gut, "We were bait from the first step, weren't we?"

"Almost certainly," Jared replied. "Lunaria and Seraphina must have known this method for ages. They announced a bounty on us just to lure the major factions inside and use our blood to spark the ward."

Before his words could fade, the sigils encircling the altar blazed alive.