The crowd retreated upon seeing Kayden coming in their direction, displaying a clear sense of wariness toward him. After glaring at Jared and the others, Kayden. left in anger. He believed the Gunderson family or The Adamantine must have leaked the news.
“Kayden has always presented himself as someone high and mighty, but he hasn’t even made it to the Supreme Honor Rankings!” Zain snorted while staring at Kayden.
“Ignore him. Let’s go and take a walk,* Jared said before going further into the castle. Soon, Jared heard the resounding chime of a bell. Its melodious tone enveloped his mind and soul, overwhelming him with an enchanting resonance.
“Monkey, do you hear the sound of a bell?” Jared asked while looking at Zain. Zain shook his head. “Nope. What bell?” Jared then turned to Evangeline and inquired, “Do you hear it, Ms. Gunderson?”
“No, I don’t. What bell are you talking about? Are you hearing things, Mr. Chance?” Evangeline responded. “I guess so.” Jared shook his head to get rid of the sound, but it still reverberated in his mind.
Jared eventually followed the sound and approached a bronze door adorned with: intricate, mysterious carvings. Just when he was about to open the door, Zain stopped him right away.
“You cannot enter, Mr. Chance. This is a bell tower, and it’s only open during the bell-ringing. ceremony to commence the Secret Realm Conference,” Zain explained while standing in Jared’s away. “There’s a bell inside?” Jared asked.
“That’s correct. Upstairs is the Dragon Bell, which has been there for ages. When the conference begins, the individual who ranks first on the Supreme Honor Rankings will strike the bell. But in recent years, it has been Sigwin Green who has been striking the bell, as he has consistently topped the rankings,” Zain explained.
Jared stepped away and gave up the idea of opening the bronze door after learning about the rule. All of a sudden, someone called his name. “J- Jared… Jared…”
It was the voice of a woman. Jared froze for a moment as he did not expect. anyone to recognize him in the Eight Major Secret Realms. Aside from the Gunderson family, how is it possible for someone here to know who I am?
When he turned around to look at the person who called his name, he was stunned. “You’re H-Hail…” Jared unexpectedly could not recall the girl’s name. “I’m Hailey Hargreaves…” The girl ran up to him.
She did not display signs of frustration when Jared could not recall her name. On the contrary, her face lit up with excitement. Feeling awkward, Jared said, “I’m so sorry, Ms. Hargreaves…”
“It’s okay.” Hailey shook her head. Out of curiosity, she asked, “How did you get here? Are you one of the people from the Eight Major Secret Realms? I thought you were from the mundane world?”
“I…” Jared had no idea what to say to Hailey. “Who is she, Mr. Chance?” Evangeline asked, taking a step forward. “Oh. She’s…”
Just as Jared was about to introduce Hailey, she took the initiative to introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Hailey Hargreaves from the Gate of Thunder.”
“Hello, I’m Evangeline Gunderson from the Gate of Fire. Mr. Chance is representing the Gunderson family to attend the Secret Realm. Conference,” Evangeline explained to Hailey.
“I didn’t expect to meet you here, Jared. I thought I would never see-” Before Hailey could finish her sentence, Claus ran over and interjected, “Hailey, what are you doing there? The conference is about to start!”
Claus was taken aback when he saw Jared. He believed Jared had perished while chasing the Blazing Tiger into the Demon Beast Mountain. He’s still alive? How is it possible?
“You’re still alive, Jared?” Claus asked int puzzlement.
