Chapter 171: Chapitre 171 : Twenty Seconds to the East
Mordred remained silent, motionless in the complete darkness. Hidden within the shelter of the ruins of an old Parisian building, he had been staring at the dimensional portal for several hours now, methodically observing every detail of the draconic guards’ behavior.
Every breath, every gesture, every movement of the soldiers was precisely analyzed by his vigilant gaze. Time flowed slowly, mercilessly. A cold tension ran through his body as minutes turned into hours.
The draconic guards, in their humanoid form, patrolled regularly, displaying exemplary military discipline. They never stopped for more than a few moments in the same place, their conversations limited to brief and formal exchanges, leaving little room for error or inattention.
The first shift change occurred exactly at two in the morning. Mordred carefully observed the perfectly regulated movements of the guards leaving their posts and those taking their place. He noted every detail: the precise time, the exact number of soldiers involved, the speed of the process.
At four o’clock, the second shift change proceeded identically, confirming the mathematical precision of their rotations. Mordred now knew exactly how and when to intervene. He had counted every second, every movement. The window of opportunity was clear: precisely twenty seconds during the next change.
But as time passed, a painful thought grew within him, disturbing his concentrated mind.
Livia...
He recalled their planned meeting at dawn. He remembered her eyes shining with fierce determination, her absolute confidence in him. He clenched his fists slightly, a slight guilt infiltrating him.
- "Sorry Livia," he murmured almost silently, his heart heavy. "I won’t honor our cartography appointment this time..."
But he knew he had to act now. This war in China had become more important than he had anticipated. His instinct whispered that his place was there, at the very heart of the conflict, not here observing passively.
He clenched his gloved fists tighter, mastering his emotions to regain absolute concentration. The mission above all, the war above all. He slowly raised his head, his orange eyes burning intensely in the nocturnal darkness.
Time passed slowly until six in the morning.