Once the A-Enhancer asked, the display shifted, revealing a detailed tactical map filled with flashing symbols and colored markers. Had Silas been present, he would have recognised it immediately, for it was almost identical to the map Cher had shown him.

"Chaz, we still don’t know what brought the dragon all the way here..." one of the B-Enhancers began.

Chaz raised a hand, cutting him off.

"I’ve already received reports," he said after a brief pause. "Something significant is happening beyond the Safe Haven. A large gathering of different races has formed there, including dragons."

The expressions around the table shifted.

"Even so, that doesn’t explain why this one came here."

"That part doesn’t matter."

A faint smile appeared on Chaz’s face, while a dangerous glint flashed through his eyes.

"If that confrontation were taking place outside our territory, then perhaps we would have reason to worry. But this dragon chose to enter our domain." He leaned back calmly. "And it won’t be leaving alive."

The others exchanged uncertain glances. Chaz was referring to something known only to A-Enhancers, and he clearly had no intention of explaining it.

"Let’s focus on preparations," he continued, pointing at the crimson marker representing the dragon. "We wait until it approaches the Iron Wall. Once it does, we strike with everything we have."

"And if it changes direction?" one of the B-Enhancers asked.

"It won’t."

His answer came without hesitation.

Seeing the doubt lingering in their eyes, Chaz added, "It will come here. And when it does, we’ll be ready to kill it."

That certainty was enough. The ten officers had served under him for years and knew he never spoke carelessly.

The meeting soon shifted toward detailed battle plans and military logistics. During a short break, Chaz stepped into a private chamber. There, he touched his wristwatch, and a holographic interface emerged above it. Not long before, numerous files appeared before him.

His gaze settled on one in particular.

Opening it, he silently reviewed its contents before stopping at the image attached to the profile.

"Oh, Cher..." he murmured. "My dear Cher... Fate truly has a strange sense of humour."

A cold smile spread across his face.

The image expanded until it occupied the entire holographic display. Chaz stared at it as though gazing upon a priceless treasure.

"You rejected my offer years ago. You even ran away from home and dared to make a bet against me in front of the clan. Yet look where fate has brought you now: Right back to me, with a dragon involved on top of everything."

Chaz laughed loudly, imagining the expression on his daughter’s face once she learned that he was now commanding the garrison forces stationed at the mine.

The logical choice for any student would be to seek refuge there. With a dragon rampaging across the region, the mine was one of the few places that could still be considered safe.

Unfortunately for her, Chaz had other plans.

"Let’s see whether facing a dragon with nothing but a wall behind your back can finally change that stubborn mind of yours," he said, his smile turning vicious. "And if it doesn’t, perhaps watching your teammates die in front of you will. If that still isn’t enough, then breaking a few bones and putting an end to your future as an Enhancer should force you to reconsider."

The thought amused him so much that he continued laughing. He then checked other files until he picked four extra files. He then displayed these four alongside Cher’s. These files contained information on Silas, Lara, Alfred, and Darius.

To Chaz, however, they were worthless as individuals. They were merely tools, leverage he could use to pressure his daughter into accepting his demands. And this time, he was certain she would have no choice.

Especially with a dragon involved.

***

Far away from the mine, the dragon hovered high above an outpost, preparing to unleash another devastating assault upon the shield protecting the terrified humans gathered below.

To the dragon, they were little more than insects.

It held no regard for their lives, yet its actions were neither random nor mindless. Dragons were an intelligent race, and this one was no exception. They were creatures of immense pride and arrogance, and this dragon embodied both traits perfectly.

"Kekeke... I never expected them all to move in the same direction."

Just as it was about to attack, the dragon suddenly paused and turned its head. Its elliptical eyes fixed upon a distant point on the horizon.

For reasons no human understood, it could sense the locations of those it sought. Among countless humans scattered across the region, it was only interested in two groups: the thieves carrying the stolen flower and the group responsible for stealing it in the first place.

Now both groups were heading toward the same destination. And the discovery immediately piqued its curiosity.

"It seems ants enjoy gathering into colonies," it sneered. "As if numbers can somehow compensate for weakness. How amusing! They truly believe they can oppose a dragon by doing so."

The dragon glanced at the frightened humans beneath the shield and casually released a stream of fire before letting out several thunderous roars.

Then it rose higher into the sky once more.

"First, I need that flower," it muttered, its gaze narrowing toward a distant location. "Once I consume it, my former strength will return. Reaching S-Class again will change everything. When that happens, this pathetic refuge they call a safe haven will crumble beneath my claws."

Excitement stirred within its chest as it imagined that future. Still, the dragon understood something many hunters failed to appreciate; the true joy was never in the kill, it was in the hunt.

"Let me play with all of you a little longer," it said with a cruel grin. "When the time is right, I’ll show you just how foolish it is to believe that gathering enough ants can challenge a dragon. Kekeke..."

Its laughter echoed through the sky.

Then the dragon folded its wings and plunged downward, unleashing another torrent of blazing fire as anticipation surged wildly within its heart.