Chapter 553
There was no time to hesitate–their pursuers were close behind.
Everett and Rafael exchanged a glance. Even if it was stupid and risky, there was only one method they could use–flying while carrying their burdens.
Dylan and Jacob could fly on their own, but the other eleven men needed to be carried. That meant Everett and Rafael needed to do at least five or six trips back and forth.
Under extreme fatigue and with their internal force severely depleted, it was a life- threatening task.
“Sir, I’m truly sorry for the trouble,” Rafael said, his eyes full of remorse.
Everett sighed. “You’re my only apprentice, and you’ve married the most troublesome girl in all of Meadow Ridge. If I don’t feel for you, who will?”
Rafael wanted to say he was happy, but under his master’s compassionate gaze, he swallowed his words. They would just have to carry their burdens. He knew that his master had a stubborn streak–if Everett disagreed with Rafael, the former would have made it clear.
There was no more time for words. Rafael first carried Felix, while Everett took Thomas. The remaining people attended to Lawrence, and would wait for their
return.
Rafael instructed Felix, “Hold on tight. Don’t move except for breathing.”
Felix nodded and clung tightly to Rafael’s neck. Immediately, he felt herself lift off the ground, soaring toward the cliff face.
Rafael managed to grasp one of the small trees, but he couldn’t rely entirely on it for support. After all, he still needed to repeat a few trips. He used his knees to brace against the cliff, searching for footholds but finding none. He shifted sideways, finding just a tiny protrusion to hold onto.
He used that leverage to climb further, but this time he had to angle to the left to grab another small tree. As he reached out, those below held their breath in fear, their hearts in their throats.
From below, the angle made it look like Rafael was dangerously close to missing his mark–but he managed to hold on.
+25 BONUS
The group’s anxiety slowly began to ease as Rafael secured his hold.
Everett took a different route. In essence, it was just using a different set of small trees. No one knew how deeply their roots were planted, or if they could not
withstand repeated strain.
Everett’s path was even more perilous, and he might fall.
ng steeper and riskier–one wrong move,
Scott patted his chest, and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Oh my god, this is so dangerous.”
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. When Scott spoke, their tension only increased, eyes fixed on the scene with unwavering focus.
Despite the danger, Rafael and Everett managed to reach safety with their burdens.
Once Felix and Thomas were settled, Everett and Rafael slid down the cliff. Descending was relatively easy. When they reached a certain point, they grasped the small trees and slowly turned around. With a final leap, they made their way back down.
Jacob and Dylan were waiting on the ground. They would only go up after everyone else had been safely carried up.
After just one trip, Rafael and Everett were already breathless. They took a brief moment to rest before continuing.
Everett made five trips, so Rafael had to make six. The last trip was for Lawrence. He needed to be secured to Rafael’s back as he was unable to hold on himself.
So, even though Everett didn’t have to make another trip, he descended with Rafael for the final trip.
“You carry him up. I’ll follow behind and watch your back for any issues,” Everett said. Sweat soaked his back, and his hair was damp and sticking to his scalp.
“Understood!” Rafael had to bend low for the final trip up, making it more difficult. Dylan and Jacob would accompany him. Effectively, there were three people. providing protection for Rafael and Lawrence.
Those above watched with anxious anticipation. Lawrence couldn’t hold Rafael on his own, and tying him up would limit Rafael’s agility, making this the most dangerous trip.
Chapter 553
+25 BONUS
Everyone held their breath as they watched Rafael leap to grab a small tree. After catching his breath, Rafael made a second leap to another tree and gripped another tree, which held steady.
The process continued with the third and fourth trees, which he could grip steadily. However, Rafael’s bent posture made the ascent extremely challenging.
When reaching for the fifth tree, his hand brushed against the tree, but he couldn’t grasp it firmly. His heart skipped a beat as he spread his hands to brace against the cliff. This left him upright against the wall, causing Lawrence’s head to tilt backward and Rafael to lose his balance.
