Chapter 105: Into the Abyss
ROAR!
The dragon’s challenging roar echoed across the valley, and Silas immediately knew it had no intention of changing course or chasing after Cher.
He had already prepared a long list of taunts and insults, determined to provoke the dragon into abandoning any pursuit of her should it ever consider doing so.
Now, none of that was necessary.
Standing atop the crystal mine, Silas watched the dragon advancing from a distance.
’It’ll take around ten minutes to reach me.’
Several squads from the mine garrison forces threw themselves into its path, fully aware they stood no chance. Their only goal was to delay the dragon long enough for Chaz and his strongest Enhancers, still far behind, to catch up.
The sight earned Silas’s respect.
’At least they’re willing to welcome death, knowing what’s at stake, instead of turning their backs and running.’
Compared to the Dark Hunters, the garrison troops left a far better impression. They had opposed him from the very beginning, but they were merely carrying out their orders. Whatever their allegiance, Silas had never been the type to belittle an enemy who fought with conviction, even when defeat was inevitable.
"I’m ready whenever you are."
After confirming the dragon was heading straight for him, Silas sent a message to Lara. A few seconds later, her reply arrived.
[I’m ready.]
[I’ll send you a map.]
The map she sent resembled a child’s sketch more than an actual map.
Silas could only sigh, though it was simple enough to serve its purpose. A rough outline of the mine and a few recognisable landmarks were all he needed.
"Luckily, I’m already close."
He adjusted his position, walking several dozen meters before stopping to check it repeatedly until he was certain he stood at the correct spot.
"Now everything is in place," he muttered, turning his eyes back to the approaching dragon. "Let’s see whether all this trouble and risk were worth it."
Several minutes passed before the dragon finally drew close enough for him to make out its battered body.
"It looks miserable."
Its scales were cracked, its body was blood-stained with weird orange crystals, and countless wounds covered its humanoid frame.
A faint smile crept onto Silas’s face.
The more exhausted and injured the dragon became, the greater their chances of success. That had been the purpose behind everything he had done over the past few days, manipulating everyone involved to push the dragon closer and closer to its limits before finally tightening the noose.
ROAR!
Noticing Silas calmly studying its wounds, the dragon let out another furious roar. Instead of fear, however, Silas felt only an eerie calm mixed with quiet anticipation.
Even as the dragon charged toward the mine with countless Enhancers and soldiers pursuing it, he remained completely still.
Seeing its intimidation fail, the dragon’s rage only grew.
"You insignificant ant! You dare mock a mighty dragon?"
"I won’t kill you quickly. No... I’ll make you suffer. I’ll torment you until you beg for death, and even then, I won’t grant it."
Threats accompanied the deafening roars, but they failed to stir the slightest reaction from Silas.
The dragon stopped at the foot of the crystal mine, glaring upward as it waited for fear to appear on the human’s face. Instead, Silas simply raised one hand, curled his fingers toward himself, and beckoned with the same casual gesture one would use to invite an old acquaintance.
"Come up here and fight me... if you dare."
The simple motion, combined with one final taunt from the long list he had prepared, struck the dragon harder than any insult.
ROAR!
The dragon answered with a thunderous roar before bounding up the mountainside in enormous leaps. The sight alone sent a chill through Silas. Only now did he truly understand how reckless it had been to toy with this monster while Shadowheart controlled his body.
The thought of Shadowheart stirred something deep within him. It wasn’t the familiar urge to seize control, nor a surge of bloodlust or madness. Instead, a strange calm spread through his body, carrying with it a quiet confidence that whispered a single thought.
’You can do it.’
Silas’ expression hardened with determination.
The dragon noticed the change immediately. With a final leap, it landed atop the crystal mine, only a few dozen meters away. Instead of attacking, it remained still, studying him for a long moment before speaking.
"I’ll start by tearing those fast legs off."
Its gaze drifted to Silas’ legs.
"Then I’ll rip your face apart with my claws and wipe that smug look from it."
Silas didn’t react. And the dragon sneered.
"After that, I’ll cut off your fingers, skin you alive, and turn you into a masterpiece. Death..." It chuckled coldly. "Death will become a luxury you’ll beg for but never receive."
Silas finally spoke, his voice calm enough to make the dragon frown.
"Are all dragons like you?"
The dragon narrowed its eyes.
"Do they all hide behind empty threats, or are you simply the most useless and talkative among them?"
ROAR!
The taunt finally snapped the last thread of the dragon’s patience. It instantly lunged forward.
Its body blurred into a streak of afterimages, moving with the terrifying speed of an A-Grade monster. Just before reaching Silas, it deliberately slowed, carefully restraining its strength as its claws swept toward his face.
The dragon wasn’t bluffing; it truly intended to keep Silas alive. It wanted to knock him unconscious, retrieve the flower, then drag him away to savour every moment of his suffering.
But the instant it entered striking distance, Silas moved. A Mana Crystal shattered in his hand, and a burst of speed erupted beneath his feet, allowing him to dart around the dragon instead of retreating.
The dragon had anticipated exactly that. The moment Silas shifted sideways, it halted, twisted around, and met him with a vicious grin.
"You won’t escape with that trick again..."
"Who said I was running?"
Silas snorted. The second Mana Crystal in his other hand shattered. And his speed exploded. He shot forward like a bolt of lightning, driving a devastating kick straight into the dragon’s chest.
The attack came too suddenly.
Even an A-Grade dragon couldn’t react to such an abrupt burst of acceleration, armed with a sheer magnitude of shock.
By the time the dragon realised what had happened, it was already too late.
"I’ve spent days preparing this."
Silas watched the dragon’s eyes widen with shock, disbelief, and confusion as its body was hurled off the summit of the crystal mine.
"The fall won’t kill me!"
The dragon roared as gravity finally claimed it, sending its body plummeting into the abyss below.
Silas walked calmly to the edge and watched it fall like a cannonball.
"That was never the plan."
He lifted his gaze toward the horizon. Countless Enhancers were racing toward the mine from every direction. Silas raised one hand and slowly gave them a quiet farewell.
Then he closed his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and stepped into the empty air.
One moment, he stood alone atop the crystal mine.
Next, he disappeared over the edge, falling after the dragon until both vanished from everyone’s sight.
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