A few miles outside the Iron Wall, hidden among a grove of towering trees near the mine’s territory, several hundred Enhancers gathered in silence.

They were the Dark Hunters.

After a couple of days of retreat and constant danger, they had finally reached a position close enough to observe the Iron Wall while remaining concealed.

"It really feels different walking around without a dragon trying to kill us."

The Wyvern leader laughed, only to freeze when the Scorpion leader immediately raised a finger to his lips.

"You laugh too loudly. We’re here to hide and wait."

The Chimera leader rolled his eyes.

"Don’t forget we escaped that dragon less than half an hour ago. What if the bastard decides to follow our scent? Or starts searching for us out of boredom using its magical abilities?"

The mere thought was enough to drain the colour from the Wyvern leader’s face. He quickly shut his mouth and remained silent.

"Still..." The Chimera leader glanced toward the Scorpion leader. "I can’t stop thinking about that kid who caused all of this in the first place. I’d love to find him and squeeze the life out of him with my own hands."

The Scorpion leader sighed inwardly.

The desire for revenge burned just as strongly within him, but they had barely escaped death and finally returned to the path of their original mission.

"Let’s focus on the task at hand first," he said calmly. "Once we’re done, we can spend a few days hunting that kid down and do whatever you want with him."

The promise immediately brightened the mood of the other two leaders. They knew the Scorpion leader never made promises lightly.

"But for now..."

He shifted his gaze toward the distant castles that formed part of the Iron Wall.

"The dragon should have reached the flower by now. Soon enough, it’ll clash with Avaron’s scattered forces. Once that happens, their attention will be elsewhere, and we’ll slip through their defences and take the crystals for ourselves."

Smiles appeared across the gathered leaders.

The Wyvern leader almost laughed again before catching the warning look in the Scorpion leader’s eyes. This time, he wisely remained quiet.

***

[I will arrange for the Elf Special Squad to leave immediately and reach your location within two days.]

[That’s the fastest I can manage. You contacted me far too late.]

The projection of a middle-aged man hovered above a wristwatch. Deep wrinkles lined his forehead, and his expression remained stern throughout the conversation.

"Thank you, Father. I appreciate the help."

"Send them directly to the mine, and make sure they’re warned about the dragon."

Leopard ended the call with a satisfied smile.

After realising the true scale of the operation, he had immediately contacted his father and requested reinforcements.

A massive three-dimensional map floated before him, displaying the mine and the surrounding terrain in remarkable detail. Countless markers, circles, and movement indicators covered its surface, representing information gathered by his teams.

Unfortunately, the intelligence they had collected was far from encouraging. Although he had managed to pinpoint Silas’s location, Cher remained completely untraceable.

That wasn’t even the worst part.

The deeper he investigated, the more he realised how many forces had become involved in the struggle happening in the mine area.

The mine itself was defended by thousands of Enhancers. While he still hadn’t identified the supreme commander, the scale and organisation of the force suggested someone highly capable, likely a top B-Enhancer or perhaps even an A-Enhancer.

The Dark Hunters remained another major threat. Despite their recent losses, they still commanded more than five hundred Enhancers under the leadership of three dangerous B-Grade leaders.

And judging from everything he had gathered so far, Leopard could easily guess what they were after.

But that wasn’t a problem. He didn’t care even the slightest about Mana Crystals. The problem lay with the dragon itself.

For some reason, it had stopped flying around and harassing the Dark Hunters. The sudden behaviour change unsettled Leopard. He hated unknown variables, especially when they involved his target acting in ways he could neither predict nor explain.

That was why he had decided to seek help from his father. Fortunately, the response had been favourable. One of the clan’s strongest armed squads was on its way.

The thought filled him with renewed confidence.

He could already imagine Rachel’s reaction when she found herself cornered by the clan’s elite warriors, with no path left to escape. The image alone was enough to make him smile.

’Once Rachel is captured, she ceases to be a problem.’

He imagined despair, loss of any solution, and finally succumbing to her fate. Defeating her felt as satisfying as defeating Cher.

However, even after asking for support, he had kept the true purpose of the mission to himself. He wanted the dragon’s blood only for himself to use. And there was no chance he would allow his father to learn about it.

"The Elf Special Squad might become greedy and target the dragon themselves. If that happens, things could get troublesome..."

It was the most pressing problem before him, yet Leopard remained confident. As long as he prepared properly, he believed he could overcome any obstacle.

***

Far away from Leopard’s shuttle, another moved peacefully through the sky. Inside, Rachel sat comfortably with one leg crossed over the other, a broad grin resting on her face.

"My father is indeed quite reliable."

She chuckled while reading the latest report sent by the special squad dispatched by her father.

"They’ll arrive in less than a day. I bet that arrogant Leopard never saw this coming."

In truth, she had done exactly what Leopard had done, only much earlier.

The moment she learned about the dragon, and especially after her suspicious meeting with Leopard, she immediately contacted her father for support.

She had suspected Leopard would seek outside help. Now, after monitoring his movements and gathering more information about the situation around the Iron Wall, she felt even more satisfied with her decision.

"My father is far more dependable than yours."