Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Mission entrance.

Except for Lyra, the other six were still reeling from shock, envy, jealousy, and even a bit of hatred

An attribute panel? That’s exclusive to Draconia! And that Vital Flame-just hearing the name gives me chills they thought

Before they could even process the shock, the game’s voice boomed again.

[Detected 48 nations still holding territory on this planet.]

[Less than 50 nations remain.]

[For the next round, two additional players will be randomly selected from the 48 nations.]

[To meet the minimum requirement of 50 participants.]

As the voice faded, everyone felt a chill run down their spine. Only 48 nations left-that meant over a hundred countries had either lost all their territory or been completely erased from the map.

Lina’s heart skipped a beat. Fifteen nations had been wiped out in this round alone, and her own country was just one step away from sharing their fate.

Lyra, however, caught a different implication. ‘Pulling two extra players? If a country ends up with two players, does that mean if both fail once, the country loses two regions at once? Is this just making the end come faster?’ she wondered.

Before she could think any further, the second announcement blared out.

[Congratulations, players.]

[All Tier 1 missions have been cleared.]

[The Tier 2 mission will open in ten days.]

Lydia’s head snapped up.

Ron stumbled back two steps, nearly tripping over the loose gravel.

“Tier 2?” Lina’s eyes went wide.

“Are you kidding me?” Sergei shouted, his voice cracking as he clenched his fists and cursed at the sky.

“How many people died in the Tier I mission? How many nations were wiped off the map?

“Forty-six rounds of the game!

“So many players died all over the world! Most of the territory has been overrun by Wraiths!

“And they call this Tier 1?”

Ron’s lips trembled. “What will the Tier 2 mission be like?”

Nobody knew what to say.

Hadi closed his eyes, fingers digging into his hair.

[For each country whose player was captured, a Wraith invasion has struck a random region. Here’s the list.]

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[Rewards for the winning players have been delivered to their home countries.)

[Game exit countdown: 10.]

(9.)

“Lyra!” Lina called out, turning to her.

“See you in ten days,” Lyra said, waving her hand.

[2.]

[1.]

A flash of white light, and their vision snapped back to reality.

At the Draconia Strategic Command Center, Monitoring Room.

The alloy doors slid open with a hiss, and Lyra walked out.

Lana was waiting outside, with Garrett and Ms. Reed right behind her. A row of armed soldiers stood guard, weapons ready.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Lyra, filled with fiery anticipation.

Lyra stretched, her bones popping a little.

“Lana,” she said, smiling at her.

Lana stepped forward, her tone restrained. “Well done.”

“Lyra, you’ve worked hard,” Ms. Reed said as she walked over.

Lyra lifted her chin, a bit of pride in her smile. “I’m fine, didn’t get hurt at all this time!”

“Oh, right!” she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a gray branch.

She’d deliberately broken it off from Jane’s mutated ice tree when she made her escape, and now she held it out to Lana

Lana froze, her gaze fixed on the branch.

“Here, Lana, Lyra said.

Lyra scratched her head. “I couldn’t bring Jane back, so this is all I could get for you.”

Lana’s expression froze, her breath hitched for a moment. Behind her, Garrett’s eyes grew misty.

It was a branch from Jane’s tree.

A fallen hero of Draconia, lost on the battlefield.

Lana reached out, her hands trembling as her fingertips brushed the gray, withered branch.

It was so light.

But in Lana’s hands, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

“Thank you,” Lana said, her voice hoarse.

She gripped the branch tightly, pressing it to her chest as tears streamed down her face.

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Thank you, Lyra,’ she whispered.

Thank you for bringing her back.”

Lyra watched Lana cry, feeling a bit helpless. “Hey, don’t cry. Maybe someday, I’ll find a way to bring everyone back home

Thank you. Thank you so much,” Lana said, her voice trembling.

Lana straightened up, fighting back her emotions as she drew her right hand to her side.

With a crisp snap, she raised her hand in a perfect military salute.

Toward Lyra.

She also saluted the branch Lyra brought home.

Behind her, Garrett, Ms. Reed, and the soldiers outside all straightened up.

Everyone stood tall, ready.

With a sharp snap, every one of them raised their hand in a flawless salute.

The salute was flawless, every movement perfectly synchronized.

Lyra felt a bit awkward under all the attention and took a small step back.

“Uh,” she said, a little embarrassed.

“So can we eat now? I’m starving,” Lyra blurted out.

Lana lowered her hand and turned around. “Zoe!”

“Here!” Zoe answered.

As soon as Lana called, Zoe poked her head in from outside and hurried over to Lyra.

“Lyra!” Zoe cried.

‘Come on, come on!”

“The cafeteria’s got a whole feast ready! Everything’s delicious!” Zoe said, practically bouncing with excitement.

Lyra’s eyes sparkled.

“Is there any caramelized sweet potato?” she asked.

“Yep! A whole pot of it!” Zoe replied.

“And braised pork?” Lyra asked.

“Of course! The chef said he’s upgraded the recipe-it’s even better than before!” Zoe replied.

Lyra didn’t wait for Zoe to grab her-she bolted out the door, practically skipping with excitement.

Zoe rushed to catch up.

The Monitoring Room fell silent as Lana lowered her head, staring at the branch in her hands.

“Garrett,” she called out.

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“Here!” Garrett replied.

“Take this branch to the research department, Lana ordered.

She held back her emotions as she handed the branch to Garrett. “Break it down and see what’s in it. Maybe there’s something here that can help us undo the Wraith transformation.”

“Chief Advisor! She was one of us! We should give her a proper burial, not just-Garrett couldn’t help but protest

“She’s already given her life. The only way we can honor her sacrifice is to win for her, and for everyone who’s fallen, Lana said, her voice steady but heavy with emotion.

She turned away, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “She was my comrade. I know she’d want it this way

Garrett’s eyes grew misty again, his fists clenched tight. “Yes, ma’am!”

Lyra had no idea what was happening in the Monitoring Room. Right now, she was sitting at the table, her eyes practically sparkling as she stared at the food in front of her.

There was sweet and sour pork ribs, braised jumbo shrimp, caramelized sweet potato, braised pork, tofu with scallions, and a steaming bowl of tomato and egg soup.