Lisan Al-Gaia: Tales of the First SSS Human
Chapter 73: The Missing Piece
Per Silas’ request, Cher enlarged the tactical map, allowing everyone to examine it properly. Even then, Silas found the display difficult to decipher and asked her to explain the various markings, colours, symbols, and lines scattered across it.
As Cher patiently walked them through the map, the team gradually began to understand its meaning. Among them, only Darius could read it as effortlessly as she could. Silas and the others followed her explanations with considerably more difficulty.
After studying the map for a while, they finally began discussing their options.
"So we have three possible locations to use as a trap."
Silas narrowed his eyes and focused on the projected terrain, summing up the different discussions they had.
"First, there’s that valley. It’s wide and deep enough to conceal a battle with the dragon without attracting too much attention. There are also several narrow sections surrounded by steep cliffs, which we could use to trigger rockslides and create deadly traps."
He glanced at Cher, who had proposed the idea, before shifting his gaze to Lara and suppressing a sigh.
"Then there’s the swamp in the far west."
His finger moved across the map toward a vast marshland.
"Lara plans to tame as many babies as possible, hide them beneath the swamp, lure the dragon there, and fight it while we attack from rafts on the water."
The strategy sounded completely absurd when spoken aloud, yet Silas still nodded thoughtfully. At this stage, every suggestion had value, no matter how unrealistic it seemed.
Finally, he turned to Alfred.
"The last option is heading east to that remote garrison post. We could enlist the help of the stationed Enhancers and soldiers, let them engage the dragon, and strike the dragon from the shadows while both sides are occupied with each other."
The plan was not without merit, yet neither Silas nor Cher seemed particularly fond of it.
For Silas, the problem was simple. The strategy relied on too many variables beyond their control. They had no relationship with the Enhancers stationed there, and there was no guarantee the garrison would be willing to fight the dragon to the death rather than simply drive it away.
He assumed Cher shared the same concerns. Yet for a brief moment, her smile seemed slightly strained before returning to normal. Silas couldn’t tell whether he had imagined it. Yet she said nothing, revealed nothing, and kept calmly smiling afterwards.
Silas glanced at Darius, who had remained silent throughout the discussion. He wore his usual calm smile, showing neither approval nor disagreement. For some reason, Silas felt that Darius was withholding his true thoughts, but since he offered no opinion, there was little point in pressing him.
Eventually, Silas decided to end the meeting.
"I’ll spend some time clearing my head, think through everything you’ve suggested, and draft a proper plan."
He rose to his feet before turning toward Cher.
"Keep monitoring the dragon’s movements. For now, continue moving in wide circles and avoid revealing any indication of where we’re heading."
"As if we know where we’re heading ourselves," Cher replied with a shrug that Silas simply ignored. Then he left them to their tasks and headed away.
His mind remained occupied with the plans his companions had proposed. Aside from Lara’s rather questionable idea, the other two options possessed genuine merit. However, the moment he entered the Time Mind World, those thoughts were pushed aside.
The Shadowheart floated peacefully within the darkness, its eyes closed as though asleep. Silas still felt wary whenever he looked at the mysterious entity. Yet alongside that caution lingered a strange sense of gratitude.
Without the Shadowheart, he would never have uncovered so much of his own untapped potential. He intended even to thank it properly when they would meet here, but he had to postpone it for next time as the Shadowheart was enjoying a deep sleep.
Then, his gaze sharpened.
’Time to test their theories.’
Silas began by examining each suggestion in turn, allowing the shadows of the Time Mind World to test their effectiveness against the dragon.
The first plan he tried was Lara’s. As expected, it failed almost immediately. The dragon simply emerged from the water, soared into the sky, and bathed both the monsters and the surrounding area in hellfire.
It was a complete disaster.
Next came Alfred’s suggestion. Unfortunately, the outcome was no better. The moment the garrison Enhancers failed to coordinate their assault and pressure the dragon properly, the creature slipped past them and went straight for Silas and his companions.
’At least we held ourselves a little longer against the dragon.’
’Still, it’s another failure.’
Silas rolled his eyes.
’That only leaves Cher’s plan. I don’t like the part involving a valley, but I might as well test it.’
Despite his reservations, he had high hopes for that one. However, every attempt ended the same way. Instead of charging into the trap, the dragon shifted into its humanoid form and unleashed the same devastating attack it had used to destroy the rocky walls before. The narrow sides of the valley collapsed instantly, burying the passage beneath tons of rubble.
The result was even worse than before. The valley walls became little more than sloping debris, allowing the dragon to pursue them without difficulty before eventually wiping them out.
’It lasted the longest out of the three suggestions.’
’Yet they all failed...’
Silas frowned.
’I need something different.’
He sank into deep contemplation, coming up with different ideas himself, and testing one possibility after another while observing the results unfold before him. Shadow after shadow fell beneath the dragon’s claws, fire breaths, and explosive attacks. Their deaths were repeated countless times until the task of trapping the creature began to feel utterly hopeless.
Then, gradually, he noticed something strange, a weird pattern.
’Something is off.’
Among the hundreds of scenarios he had tested, a small handful had shown genuine promise. In those simulations, everything progressed smoothly for a while before suddenly collapsing at a critical moment.
Whenever that happened, Silas replayed the sequence and examined every detail with increasing scrutiny. Eventually, he found the missing piece.
’Darius.’
A cold light flashed through his eyes.
’Every time a scenario starts succeeding, Darius’s shadow just stands there doing nothing. Then everything falls apart.’
Silas narrowed his eyes.
’It’s as if he’s supposed to say something or use something, but because I don’t know what it is, the simulation can’t account for it.’
The realisation immediately reminded him of the period after their team had first formed, when he had tested everyone’s abilities and strengths. Back then, Darius had been one of the three people who had clearly withheld part of their power and concealed certain truths from him.
Whatever he had hidden, it was no minor secret. It was something important enough to determine whether their plans succeeded or failed.
The moment Silas identified the source of the problem, he decided to leave the Time Mind World and find Darius immediately. Yet the decision only led to another dilemma.
What exactly was he supposed to ask?
He knew Darius was hiding something, but that knowledge came from the Time Mind World. Revealing how he had reached that conclusion would mean exposing one of his greatest secrets, and Silas had no intention of doing that when Darius himself had chosen to remain silent.
Caught between suspicion and uncertainty, Silas rose from the bathtub. Before he could even pull himself out of the water, he noticed a figure beside him. His body instantly dropped back into the tub with a loud splash.
Spinning around, he glared at the figure. Then his eyes widened.
"Darius?!"
"What are you doing here?!"