Chapter 13: Have to find a safe place.
John’s fingers tightened around the last skewer of pork as the bounty hunters’ words echoed in his mind.
Fifty spirit stones.
That wasn’t just a reward, it was a death sentence with his name on it.
He forced himself to finish eating at a normal pace, though every chew tasted like ash in his mouth now.
The moment he swallowed the last bite, he tossed the wooden skewer into a nearby waste bin and melted into the crowd, his movements swift but controlled.
The walk back to the Nine Sky Inn felt infinitely longer than it had earlier.
Every glance from a passerby made his skin prickle.
Was that merchant staring a second too long?
Did that guard just glance at him with unusual interest?
His Spatial Sense hummed at the edge of his awareness, scanning the twenty-meter radius around him for any hint of danger.
When he finally reached the sanctuary of his room, John locked the door behind him and leaned against it, exhaling sharply.
The luxurious space that had felt so welcoming hours ago now seemed like a gilded cage.