Chapter 64: Bonus Chapter for Egypt’s World Cup Historic Performance: Working Alone Means Failure!
"Consider yourself lucky to have me by your side."
Only after Silas repeatedly assured Cher that he was completely serious about his desperate need for a bathtub did she finally begin to take him at his word.
She could hardly be blamed for her scepticism. Who, in their right mind, would ask for a bath while standing before a dragon and a seemingly impossible Gaia Calling? Instead of discussing how to accomplish such an absurd task or devising a plan to obtain a drop of precious dragon blood, Silas was concerned with finding a place to wash himself.
Fortunately, Cher was not out of options.
She activated her wristwatch, causing a large holographic map of the mine region to unfold before them.
Unlike the simplified map Silas had received from the academy or the one attached to the distress signal, this version was far more detailed. Countless markings covered its surface, turning it into what looked like an incomprehensible mess.
Silas could barely make sense of it at first glance, yet Cher seemed to understand everything immediately.
"I asked some of my contacts to send me this map as soon as we learned about the mission," she explained. "I dislike walking into an operation unprepared. Sometimes a little extra homework proves useful."
Her eyes narrowed as she zoomed across the hologram, searching for a suitable location. Finding a bathtub in the middle of the wilderness was hardly an easy task.
Watching her study the map with such focus, Silas remained silent. He resisted the urge to ask countless questions, such as who these contacts were and how she could navigate such a complicated map so effortlessly.
Eventually, her eyes brightened.
"There."
She pointed toward a location on the hologram.
"I found a suitable place. That old garrison post should have a bathtub."
Silas followed her finger and saw nothing more than a grey circle. He had no idea how that symbol revealed the nature of the location. Sensing his confusion, Cher cleared her throat and patiently explained.
"You know that the safe havens have existed since humanity first established itself in Eldrune. Over the last two centuries, countless defensive systems have been tested. One of the earliest approaches was the construction of large garrisons positioned far apart from one another."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"The strategy failed. Monsters travelled in dense waves and simply slipped through the gaps between the garrisons. Eventually, the system was abandoned and replaced by the network of smaller outposts we use today. Most of the old garrisons were left to decay, though a few near the mine still remain active."
Silas did not ask how she knew all of that. He had trusted her from the beginning. Besides, his Gaia Calling had specifically instructed him to do so.
"It’s slightly south of our position," he said after comparing the location on her map to the simplified one in his possession. "At our pace, it should take less than two hours to reach it."
"Then we should leave immediately."
Closing the hologram, Cher glanced toward the distant battlefield. The dragon was still rampaging in the distance, its roars shaking the earth with every attack. For a brief moment, regret flashed across her face.
She wanted nothing more than to join the battle.
If Silas had challenged the dragon and survived, why couldn’t she do the same? Especially now that he was fighting alongside her.
Yet Silas showed no interest in the creature whatsoever. If anything, he seemed eager to put as much distance between himself and the dragon as possible, which only deepened her confusion.
"Let’s go."
Suppressing her thoughts, she turned toward the open terrain surrounding the battlefield.
"We’ll need to circle around the area if we want to avoid attracting its attention."
She pointed eastward, intending to lead them around the battlefield before turning south. Silas offered no objections. As far as he was concerned, anywhere was better than remaining near that dragon.
Yet as they turned their backs and headed east, both failed to notice the subtle change at the distant dragon. For a moment there, it stopped, turned to look in their direction, before an evil grin appeared on its face, looking monstrous and savage.
***
[Collect a Dragon Blood Droplet!]
[Working Alone Means Failure!]
At the exact moment Silas and Cher received their Gaia Calling, another person received the same message.
That person was Leopard.
Surprisingly, he was present on the very same battlefield as the two of them. However, he belonged to one of the many teams Silas and Cher had noticed earlier, before quickly dismissing them from their thoughts.
Leopard was stunned by the Calling.
Like Cher, he came from a background that allowed him to grasp the true value of dragon blood. A single drop could push an Enhancer beyond their limits, elevate their grade, strengthen existing abilities, and sometimes even add entirely new ones.
It was the equivalent of skipping years of effort and reaching a destination through a hidden shortcut. Someone like Leopard would never ignore such an opportunity, no matter how desperate or impossible it seemed.
’Yet I can’t work with just anyone...’
Leopard was very puzzled by the second part of his calling. He knew how mysterious Gaia’s Callings were, how terrifyingly correct they were all the time. And yet, he wasn’t the type to work with someone else to achieve something precious and great like dragon’s blood.
If any, he would prefer to keep all the blood to himself.
"Leopard, I have some news."
As he was lost in thought, a student approached. It was Montar. Leopard felt as though he had just been dragged out of a dream. In no mood for conversation, he simply motioned for his subordinate to continue.
"A few people spotted those two arriving here as well."
Montar paused, but Leopard’s expression remained blank.
"It’s Silas and Cher."
"They’re here?"
Leopard shot to his feet before Montar could continue. The sudden reaction startled the latter, but he quickly resumed his report.
"They appeared southeast of our position about half an hour ago. Then they suddenly changed direction."
"They moved? Where?"
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