Chapter 72: Fear No More
"The dragon is really following them."
Far from Silas and his companions, Rachel sat inside her shuttle, studying a three-dimensional tactical map with keen interest.
The map displayed a vast stretch of land extending from the source of the distress signal to the dragon’s current location. A purple marker represented the dragon, a red one marked the distress signal, and an orange marker indicated Silas’s shuttle’s last known location.
When Leopard had first suggested following the dragon, she had not believed him. She had assumed he was trying to throw her into the dragon’s path to eliminate a rival or perhaps leave her stranded in a desperate situation. Yet when reports arrived confirming that Cher’s shuttle had departed from a ruined ancient outpost, she was genuinely stunned.
"It seems the dragon wants something from them. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have shifted the battle toward their location so quickly."
What intrigued her most was that the dragon appeared capable of tracking Silas’s team wherever they went. That detail alone revealed far more than any report could.
"If that’s the case, then Cher must have done something extraordinary to provoke it."
Rachel fell silent for a moment. She recalled the advice she had received before meeting Leopard. At the time, she had dismissed much of it, but everything that happened afterwards had only confirmed its accuracy.
And that meant Leopard was going to interfere, one way or another, with the dragon soon enough.
’All Lisan Al-Gaias eventually will face the dragon, hehehe!’
A malicious smile spread across her face.
"Oh, Cher, my dear Cher... it seems your little tricks have finally met a wall."
Once she connected Silas’s team to the dragon’s pursuit, she became convinced that it was only a matter of time before Cher and her companions were torn apart.
With that matter settled in her mind, her attention shifted toward the true objective of the mission and her greatest rival.
"Spread several teams across the region. Have them withdraw from direct engagement and begin occupying any abandoned outposts they encounter. Send scouts as well. I want a detailed map of every academy-controlled outpost and a complete assessment of which locations can be seized with minimal resistance."
Believing Leopard would attempt the same strategy, Rachel mobilised every spare team at her disposal. She even contacted her family, intending to use every connection available to pressure the families backing rival teams.
She also made sure to inform her family that the dragon was pursuing Cher and her team. It was during those communications that she received another report.
For a brief moment, she froze. Then she burst into uncontrollable laughter.
In her eyes, even if the dragon failed to kill Cher, fate had already prepared something far worse than death.
***
Several hours later, Alfred sat inside his shuttle, trailing the dragon from afar when the latest report about Rachel arrived.
"She is still focused on the mission."
His brow furrowed.
He had expected Rachel to follow the dragon just as he had. Once she realized it was pursuing Silas’s team, she was supposed to walk directly into his trap.
Yet the reports told a different story. She had dispersed her forces, secured numerous outposts, and remained entirely focused on expanding her faction’s influence. So far, she had shown no intention of abandoning the mission for Cher and the dragon.
It was a slight deviation from his expectations.
"Still, she’ll fall into it eventually."
He shifted the display before him. A profile appeared on the screen, accompanied by a detailed file on a particular Enhancer. Seeing the details about the Enhancer who played a crucial role in Cher’s life made his smile wider.
"She won’t be able to resist this opportunity, no matter how hard she tries. Hahaha..."
Alfred had been somewhat uneasy before receiving that report. Ever since obtaining the file, however, his mood had improved dramatically. He found himself rereading its contents again and again, laughing whenever certain details caught his eye.
The mere existence of that Enhancer had changed everything. The balance of the situation had tilted sharply in his favour.
Already, he could see the pieces moving across the board exactly as he desired. One after another, they would step into his carefully prepared schemes, and at the end of it all, the greatest prize would belong to him: the dragon’s blood.
***
Silas woke after eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.
The exhaustion weighing on him had vanished. His thoughts felt unusually clear, his senses sharper than before, and deep inside, he sensed a subtle change.
He had become more confident. The realisation struck him almost immediately whenever he thought back to everything that had recently happened.
The Shadowheart no longer inspired fear, nor did the competition waiting ahead. Even the dragon lost a great deal of its earlier terror and dread.
Standing before a mirror, he studied his reflection and noticed a faint crimson tint lingering around his eyes. It was subtle, yet he was certain it had not been there before.
"Don’t tell me I’ll end up becoming that maniac."
He shook his head.
Countless rumours circulated among Enhancers about powerful individuals gradually losing their sanity as their strength increased. Remembering those stories made him more aware of the changes taking place within himself, and a trace of caution surfaced in his mind.
Still, there was little point in dwelling on it. Pushing those thoughts aside, he made his way to his teammates.
The moment he arrived, he was greeted by cheerful smiles and lively voices. Fortunately, breakfast had already been prepared, allowing him to join them without delay.
"The dragon is still moving in our direction."
Cher was the first to steer the conversation toward the problem looming over all of them.
Whenever the dragon was mentioned, everyone’s expression darkened except for Silas.
"How far is it from us? And where are we heading?"
He asked the question casually, continuing to eat as though the fact that a dragon was pursuing them meant nothing at all. His calm demeanour only deepened the confusion around the table. They were discussing a dragon, a creature that had slaughtered countless Enhancers and was now actively hunting them, yet he looked completely unbothered.
Noticing the strange looks directed at him, Silas guessed that Cher had already explained everything, as he had asked her before sleeping.
"Did all of you hear about Gaia’s calling and the change in our plans?"
He wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.
"The mission is important, sure, but dragon blood?" Alfred leaned back and shook his head. "No chance I’d pass on that. Clan wars have been fought over dragon corpses alone. Fresh dragon blood? That’s worth even more."
The others nodded in agreement.
"I won’t object either," Lara said eagerly. "As long as you let me try taming that baby."
"Shut up."
Cher cut her off immediately, while Lara puffed her cheeks in protest.
"I’m fine with it." Darius shrugged. "I know the mission sounds impossible, but I also know what you’re capable of. We might as well give it a shot."
Silas was pleased to hear the determination in their voices.
"I still don’t understand how we’re supposed to collect its blood when it’s chasing us and we’re barely keeping ahead of it."
Lara sighed. Unfortunately, her concern was entirely reasonable. The gloomy atmosphere that had briefly lifted settled over the room once more, forcing Silas to intervene.
"The dragon we need blood from is indeed chasing us."
He spoke slowly while finishing his breakfast, showing none of the urgency everyone else felt.
"From a certain perspective, that’s actually an advantage."
Several faces stiffened.
"At least we don’t have to figure out how to lure it."
Alfred stared at him.
"Are you seriously saying being hunted by a dragon is good news?"
"That’s exactly what I’m saying."
Silas did not hide his thoughts. Instead, he decided to follow Gaia’s advice completely and trust his companions. Setting his chopsticks beside the bowl, he glanced around the table.
"If you look at it from my perspective, the dragon chasing us works in our favour. Since it’s already pursuing us, we can lead it somewhere suitable, prepare a trap, and create the conditions we need to obtain its blood."
"Assuming we survive long enough to do any of that."
Darius rubbed his forehead.
"I don’t know what happened to you, but we’re talking about a dragon. That thing has been fighting Enhancers for nearly a day straight without receiving any serious injuries. Instead, it’s the Enhancers who keep dying."
He wasn’t wrong. And Silas understood that better than anyone.
Yet ever since awakening his new ability, a strange confidence had taken root inside him. Gaia had pointed him toward the dragon’s weakness, and if that weakness truly was fear, then they definitely had a chance.
Cher cleared her throat.
"Fine. Let’s entertain your crazy idea for a moment. How exactly are we supposed to do this? Do you have a location in mind?"
"Not yet."
His answer left everyone speechless. Until now, they had assumed that his confidence came from having some sort of plan already prepared.
"I need to use the bathtub first. After that, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do."
The statement only confused them further.
What they didn’t know was that having the bathtub and securing access to the Time Mind World played a role in his earlier confidence. Inside, he would analyse possibilities, test theories, and explore countless scenarios until he found a path forward.
And once he found that path, their odds of success would rise dramatically.
To everyone else, however, Silas simply looked like a man who had finally lost his mind.
"But first show me the detailed map of the mine," Silas suddenly turned serious as he asked Cher, "let me hear your thoughts about the best places to set a dragon trap at."
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