Chapter 65: Bonus Chapter for Egypt’s World Cup Historic Performance: The Fear Effect
Leopard fell silent as a realisation hit him like a punch in the face. If Gaia’s Calling had reached him the moment he saw the dragon, then it was only natural that Silas and Cher had received it as well.
’Working alone means failure...’
’Is Gaia telling me to cooperate with those two? After everything that happened between us? That’s impossible.’
His eyes darkened with thought, but his expression remained unreadable. He wasn’t in favour of working with someone else over this huge gain, not to mention these two in particular.
Meanwhile, Montar continued.
"Surprisingly, they didn’t return to their outpost. We already located it, just as planned. We were going to raid and destroy it on the final day of the mission."
Leopard barely reacted.
"Instead, they headed east. They are moving towards that girl."
The moment those words left Montar’s mouth, Leopard froze. The plan to eliminate Silas and Cher’s team had been his idea, but that was not what caught his attention.
"Rachel?"
He asked only to confirm they were talking about the same person. And Montar nodded.
"She gathered her teams on the eastern side and has been watching the battle from there. I already reported it. You specifically ordered us not to approach her group for any time soon."
Recalling Rachel, Leopard suddenly fell into deep silence. For some reason, standing by her side to do his calling didn’t look that bad as an idea. Not to mention the petite girl looked naïve and easy to fool by him, compared to the other two at least.
’And she isn’t Lisan Al-Gaia, so she would never know about the final big gains waiting at the end of the tunnel.’
The more he entertained the thought, the more he bought it.
"A change of plans."
Leopard’s demeanour shifted instantly. And his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Send someone to her. Tell her I want to meet as soon as possible."
Montar stared at him in confusion. He had followed Leopard long enough to know that changing his mind was not something he did lightly. Yet now he was overturning previous orders without hesitation.
Still, Montar knew arguing was pointless, as Leopard trusted no one.
"Right away."
Montar departed. Then Leopard lowered himself onto the folding chair he had taken from his portable device and sank into thought. A few moments later, he suddenly burst into laughter.
’Working alone means failure...’
’Hahaha... Gaia truly is cunning.’
’If I can’t work with Silas and Cher, then I’ll work with Rachel instead.’
’Her envy and hatred toward Cher will become my weapon to be the only one obtaining the dragon blood. Hahaha!’
"There is a messenger from Leopard."
A short distance away, Rachel stood atop a hill, a telescope pressed against her eye. Far in the distance, two figures were racing eastward without looking back. They were Silas and Cher.
Rachel had been watching them the entire time.
At her follower’s words, she slowly lowered the telescope. A malicious smile appeared on her delicate face.
"He really is impatient, isn’t he?"
Leopard did not know that the information about Silas and Cher had come from Rachel herself. The moment the pair arrived near the battlefield, she spotted them.
At first, she was tempted to gather her forces and attack immediately. However, the possibility of drawing the dragon’s attention made her abandon the idea without hesitation.
Everything changed when the two suddenly started moving. Instead of acting logically and retreating to their outpost, they headed east.
Rachel had concealed herself and her followers carefully enough to avoid detection, but their strange decision intrigued her. And curiosity quickly turned into suspicion.
Without delay, she instructed her people to discreetly pass the information to Leopard’s faction. She knew exactly how ambitious he was, no matter how carefully he hid it. If she had to pick someone to voluntarily stand against Cher’s path, then it would definitely be him.
What she had not expected was his swift response. Rather than taking time to think, Leopard immediately requested a meeting.
That had never been part of her plan.
Originally, she intended for Leopard to pursue Silas and Cher, fight them, and weaken himself in the process. Then she would strike from the shadows, eliminate whoever remained standing, and claim all the glory for herself.
Yet for reasons she could not understand, Leopard had chosen a different path.
’Is he suspecting something?’
The thought lingered briefly before she dismissed it.
’Even if he did, he wouldn’t come directly to me asking for a meeting.’
A playful smile spread across her face.
’What are you scheming, pretty boy?’
Instead of concern, she felt excitement. The more she thought about it, the more amused she became. By the end, she was practically looking forward to the meeting.
***
Rachel was mistaken about one thing. The moment Silas and Cher passed by her location, Cher noticed her immediately. Then, as they continued east, she spotted something else.
"We’re being followed."
The quiet warning made Silas frown. He glanced behind them but saw nothing unusual. Still, Cher sounded certain.
"We need to lose them."
Knowing what he intended to do, Silas understood how dangerous it would be if someone like Rachel discovered their destination. Unbeknownst to him, however, that caution would spare him a great deal of trouble later.
Cher was still troubled by her decision to retreat and leave the dragon behind. She had intended to use the journey to discuss their plans, ask Silas how he had survived the dragon’s attack, and perhaps piece together a workable strategy for the future. Yet with other students shadowing them, she did not feel comfortable discussing any of those matters. In the end, she remained silent, something Silas had no objection to.
His mind was occupied by far more pressing concerns.
While Cher focused on navigation and shaking off their pursuers, Silas found himself consumed by the second part of her Gaia Calling.
’Fear can wound what strength cannot...’
’I completely forgot about my Fear Effect...’
The realisation struck him like a bolt of lightning.
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