Lisan Al-Gaia: Tales of the First SSS Human
Chapter 75: The Winged Scorpion, the Scaled Chimera, and the Fog Wyvern
Despite his curiosity, Silas did not dwell on the matter for long. Even if he confronted Darius now, he doubted he would learn anything.
"It’s no different from someone asking me about the Time Mind World."
"I wouldn’t reveal a single clue either."
Everyone had secrets, and if he expected his companions to respect his own, he had to offer them the same courtesy. Besides, trust was not built through interrogation. Given enough time, people willingly revealed what they once guarded.
"Trust your companions..."
"That Gaia is really something."
Muttering to himself, Silas finished getting dressed and returned to the others. He found them gathered around a projected map, studying the dragon’s latest movements. Darius was among them, but before Silas could spare him another thought, Cher noticed his arrival and immediately asked,
"Did you discover something useful?"
Silas glanced at her, briefly wondering what kind of secrets she was hiding. His gaze then shifted to Alfred, and he found himself asking the same question.
Every one of them was concealing something.
"I have a plan," Silas said calmly. "We’ll have to take considerable risks, but if everything goes right, we’ll secure the dragon blood."
As he spoke, his attention was drawn to several unfamiliar markers scattered across the map. Pointing at them, he looked toward Cher. And she understood the question before he voiced it.
"Those represent academy teams," she explained before letting out a bitter sigh. "The dragon has forced many groups to abandon the mining region, while others have lost their outposts and most of their members as it continues roaming across the area."
That much made sense to him. However, many markers still occupied a large number of outposts.
"And those?"
"They mostly belong to the organised factions," Lara answered, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. "Especially Rachel and Leopard. They’re gathering more teams under their banners and steadily expanding their control over the abandoned and destroyed outposts."
Silence followed her words, as everyone shared the same thought. Watching their rivals profit from the chaos while they struggled to survive left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Yet Silas remained calm.
"We knew the consequences when we made our decision," he said, slowly sweeping his gaze across the group. "None of this should come as a surprise. Let them enjoy their success for now. Once we obtain the dragon blood, our strength will rise to an entirely different level, and none of this will matter anymore."
His words were reasonable, and everyone knew it. That did not make the bitterness disappear, but it helped.
Seeing their expressions settle, Silas shifted the conversation toward what truly mattered and began explaining his plan.
The more he spoke, the quieter the group became. By the time he finished, everyone shared the same conclusion: Silas’s plan was completely insane.
And somehow, it sounded entirely possible.
***
Somewhere amid the chaos of the dragon’s rampage, inside an outpost that still enjoyed a measure of safety, a meeting was underway between several adult Enhancers.
The outpost had been seized from the students assigned to guard it. It had not taken much intimidation to drive them away, and now the Rune Heart served as the gathering place for three different factions. Each faction had brought ten Enhancers, all standing behind a single leader.
The three leaders wore masks modelled after some of Eldrune’s most infamous SSS-rank monsters: the Winged Scorpion, the Scaled Chimera, and the Fog Wyvern.
They were the leaders of the Dark Hunters, the very force that Shadowheart had framed with the dragon. Now, instead of discussing how to profit from the mission, they were trying to salvage a disaster.
"I can’t believe our guaranteed crystal raid turned into this mess," the leader wearing the scorpion mask said with a weary sigh.
The other two silently nodded.
"That dragon is absurdly persistent," the Chimera leader spat. "If not for that damned brat throwing that flower at us, we would already be raiding the mine and loading crystals into our shuttles."
"That kid is dangerous," the Wyvern leader growled through clenched teeth. "Most people would run from a dragon. He dared to provoke one and lure it straight towards us."
The three exchanged dark glances as memories of the mountain collapse and the chaotic moments afterwards resurfaced in their minds.
From that moment onward, they had been trapped in a relentless chase. The dragon pursued them without rest, forcing them into one battle after another. As B-grade Enhancers, they had survived alongside their most trusted elites, but the larger force they had brought into the region had been devastated.
"If not for the dragon, I would have torn that entire mining zone apart stone by stone until I found him."
The Wyvern leader slammed his fist onto the table, spreading cracks across its surface.
"We can deal with the brat later," the Scorpion leader said calmly. "We’ll continue killing any students we encounter. Right now, the dragon is the real problem. We need to get rid of it as soon as possible."
The other two remained silent.
Among the three, the Scorpion leader was known for his patience and better judgment. More often than not, he was the one who found a way forward.
"I say we lure it toward the mine," he continued after a brief pause. "Let the garrison army handle it. They might be forced to mobilise their entire force, leaving the mine vulnerable for us to loot."
"That could work."
The Wyvern leader considered the idea for a moment before frowning.
"But the dragon is still tracking us because of that cursed flower. We need to get rid of it first."
Everyone already understood the problem.
They had tried repeatedly to discard the flower, yet circumstances never allowed it. Every attempt ended the same way. A dragon pressed from one side while a chain of outposts restricted their movement from the other. More than once, the beast had even flown ahead and cut off their escape route entirely, forcing them to change direction.
None of them understood why.