Chapter396 – You flatter me

Saka smiled, clasping her hand firmly and meeting her gaze. “I swear. Pinky promise.”

He extended his little finger, hooking it around hers before pressing his thumb down in an exaggerated, childish gesture.

The absurdity of it finally broke her composure.

Penny laughed softly. “You’re such an idiot. How could I possibly like someone like you?”

Even as she said it, she stopped resisting and leaned against his shoulder.

“Honey,” Saka said gently, his tone shifting, “to be honest, I’ve been planning something big. With Monica. Will you support me?”

Penny’s heart skipped.

“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

Saka stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, hands clasped behind his back as snow drifted silently outside.

He explained everything.

By the time he finished, Penny’s face had gone pale.

“Saka… the risk is enormous,” she said shakily. “How could you even think of something like this?”

He turned around slowly. “You always said I was too conservative. Too cautious. A Level Six commander with no presence in the City of Sin. Even with a partner who’s also Level Six.”

His words struck something deep.

She remembered all the times she’d complained, all the frustration she’d vented when she thought he wasn’t listening.

He had listened. Every word.

“Are you really sure?” Penny hesitated. “Even if I stand with you… even if Caroline’s position is unclear… there are still so many variables—”

“Trust me,” Saka interrupted calmly. “Will you come with me?”

“As long as we return to Krythos successfully and survive the beast tide, we can always come back. And when we do, we’ll be the most respected people left.”

Penny felt dizzy.

She had never seen this side of him before.

And worse—it was exactly the man she’d always wanted him to be.

“I’m in,” she said breathlessly.

She bit her lip, leaned close to his ear, her voice dropping. “Baby… I want you.”

She didn’t notice the faint flicker of repulsion that crossed Saka’s face as he answered softly, “Wait until this is over. Alright?”

......

By the next morning, rumors spread like wildfire.

Leaders Saka and Penny had openly declared their support for escape. Remaining in the City of Sin, they claimed, was a death sentence. Only by rallying together and heading for Krythos could anyone hope to survive the coming tide of mutated beasts.

The news detonated across the city.

At first, only low-level Awakened gathered in Saka’s district. High-level Awakened remained cautious, watching from the shadows.

But when thousands of residents poured into the district—and the stationed soldiers did nothing—confidence began to grow.

More Awakened followed.

When tens of thousands flooded the main streets outside Saka District Headquarters, Saka and Penny stepped forward to address the crowd.

“Stay here,” Saka declared coldly, “and you’re dead.”

“Go to Krythos,” Penny shouted, “and claim a future!”

The slogan ignited the city.

High-level Awakened who had been watching from afar finally moved. Even those hunted by the Black Robe Watchers fled to the Saka district for protection.

......

In the West District, Governor Valentino sat in his mansion, his expression dark as he watched the endless stream of people leaving.

Under normal circumstances, he would have crushed this rebellion immediately.

But Saka and Penny were now stronger than him.

And he had no idea where the other governors stood.

.....

“Lord Isos, shouldn’t we intervene?” Yates asked anxiously, standing behind the tall, cloaked figure.

Isos gazed at the choked streets and shook his head. “Not yet.”

“But this fire keeps spreading,” Yates said. “Do Saka and Penny truly intend to abandon the City of Sin? Are they willing to give up their status?”

Isos replied calmly, “The desire to escape needs an outlet. They’ve simply provided one.”

“Anyone who stands against it now will become the enemy of the masses.”

He didn’t say the rest out loud.

Even a Level Six Awakened couldn’t withstand thousands united in rage. Even if he slaughtered hundreds to intimidate them, the hatred would last generations.

“When the fuel burns out, the fire will die on its own,” Isos said. “If Saka and Penny truly want to leave, they’ll have to convince us.”

“Without sufficient high-level power, they’ll never make it back.”

.....

In a luxurious manor within Saka’s district sat Adler—the strongest man in the City of Sin.

Two other Level Six Awakened were with him.

Ned, dark-skinned and solid as iron.

And Karl, a gray-haired old man quietly sipping tea.

“Saka and Penny have invited us to a meeting,” Ned said bluntly. “They want us to join them.”

Karl remained silent.

Dressed like an ascetic, Adler’s eyes were calm and unwavering as he spoke. “Too naive. They think they can stir the residents and push the other leaders around.”

“How could those leaders ever give up what they have?” Ned chimed in, his tone low but certain. Karl simply nodded.

They owned a vast slice of the City of Sin—casinos, bars, lending houses. Wealth, influence, power. If they weren’t moving back to Krythos, the others certainly wouldn’t follow.

.....

In the Saka district mansion, Penny watched the crowds gathering outside, chanting her name. A thrill surged through her chest, intoxicating and wild—but beneath it, worry gnawed at her.

“Saka… will they actually come to negotiate? A full day has passed.”

“Let’s wait and see,” Saka replied simply, then turned and retreated to his bedroom.

He and Axel had agreed to meet on Carnival Day—the apex of the exiles’ momentum. He had lit the first spark. The rest was in Axel’s hands.

.....

The feast of the escapees spread like wildfire. Smoke and fire thickened the air. Shops were looted, cars burned. Black engine oil mingled with the pristine white snow, turning the streets into a scene of apocalyptic chaos.

At dawn, the first person Saka encountered wasn’t Axel, but Caroline—long legs, commanding figure, a presence that could freeze any crowd.

“Saka,” she said, calm yet sharp, “I didn’t expect you to have this… guts.”

Saka’s eyes betrayed nothing. “You flatter me.”

“This farce must end now,” Caroline continued, her gaze piercing. “Or the City of Sin will crumble before the mutated beasts even arrive.”

Saka met her eyes evenly. “Do you really think staying is the right choice?”

Caroline hesitated, tidying her wind-tossed blonde hair. “Perhaps fleeing is the right choice. But now? A riot won’t change the other leaders’ stances. You’re being naive if you think it will.”

Saka simply said, “Let’s wait and see.”

A shadow of disappointment flickered across Caroline’s face. “So no plan. It’s not too late to back down. Once the other leaders act, things won’t be easy for you or your partner.”

Lightning crackled faintly around her, then vanished—her subtle warning.

Behind the scenes, the three top leaders—Quinlan, Isos, and Valentino—had quietly contacted each other, reaching a tentative consensus. At the same time, they reached out to Adler and the other Level Six Awakened.

Relief spread among them. No one had openly supported the escape faction or Saka. For the moment, the situation seemed contained.

.....

The City of Sin’s monthly carnival was usually a celebration—a market filled with rare cultivation resources, a night market with discounts.

Today, however, it felt less like a celebration and more like a collective cry for release. The crowd surged, frustration spilling into chaos.

By noon, the city was fully ablaze with unrest.

“Saka, can we talk now?”

Isos stood, flanked by Valentino and Quinlan, facing Saka directly. Caroline remained a short distance away. Adler, Ned, and Karl had also arrived.

Saka stood calmly, the shouts of tens of thousands echoing through the streets around his residence.

“Protect Commander Saka!”

“We refuse to stay and wait to die!”

“The City of Sin doesn’t even have a right to speak?!”

The deafening roar sent chills down Valentino’s spine, despite his superior strength.

Adler frowned. “Saka… did it have to come to this?”