A few kilometers from Mantis Town, massive dunes could be seen as far as the eyes could see. The desert ground shimmered under the dim moonlight.

Strange movements could be seen on the faraway dunes.

To many who had just arrived at the Crimson Dunes, the scene might be scary or bizarre. However, to those who were conversant with the Bleeding Desert, they knew the desert was feeding.

Digesting its hearty meal.

The moving dunes rose and fell slowly, as if something enormous was breathing beneath the sand. From time to time, faint ripples spread across the desert surface before vanishing into stillness.

Below the various dunes, various tents were set. People and beastmen moved in almost silence. When they had to communicate, they whispered, bringing their mouths to their partners’ ears.

It was as if they were scared the Bleeding Desert would hear them, which might be a taboo. But it was not.

Each tent was being cautious of the others.

Although each side was separated by massive dunes and considerable distance, none was ready to take the chance, not until they all achieved their goal.

And what was their goal?

While each tent was tense and alert against their potential rivals, they failed to notice the small figure standing in the distance.

A couple of miles from the groups in tents, a silver haired, blue eyed young man stared at the scene in the distance. Standing on a high dune, it was not difficult for him to see what lay ahead.

"So, they have arrived," Thoren mused, and a slow, predatory smile crept up his face.

Why did he return?

To hunt.

He knew the news of his unlimited supplies would have spread throughout the Crimson Dunes. And from the Sandroach Chief, he had confirmed it.

Thus, he wanted to wrap everything up here before he headed toward his real target.

If these people were allowed to gather freely, they would eventually become a disaster for Mantis Town.

Thoren had no intention of giving them time to grow brave.

Whoosh!

The undead Echo Scarabs flying around him shot forward at breathtaking speed toward the figures relaxing in the tents while he followed calmly.

Those were his scouts.

Quickly, when he was nearly a kilometer from their spot, he slowed down his speed and hid behind a dune, waiting patiently for the result of the undead Echo Scarabs.

The night wind brushed against his cloak.

The sand beneath his boots shifted lightly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

In the distance, faint whispers and muted movements continued among the hidden groups, but none of them knew they had already been marked.

A few seconds later, he got the intel he needed. Hiding behind the dunes were over ten groups. Three groups were bigger, while there were five medium sized groups and two smaller groups hiding farther away from the others.

They hid deep in the dunes, and if not for the trait of the undead Echo Scarabs, he would likely have ignored them.

After thinking for a moment, he looked in the direction of the smaller group and mused.

"I will start with you."

Without hesitation, he released five undead Sanguine Vulture Spawns. For such a covert operation, there was no beast better than the Sanguine Vulture.

Whoosh!

The five undead Sanguine Vultures vanished from their spot, leaving crimson trails in their wake. With the moonlight dim, it was now extremely difficult to catch sight of their presence.

In the distance, the farthest group hid among the dunes with their heads barely visible. They had completely blended with the desert.

From their camouflage, this showed this was not their first time they had undergone such an operation.

Their clothes were covered with sand colored cloth.

Their weapons were wrapped tightly to prevent any metallic glint.

Even their breathing was slow and shallow, as if they had trained themselves to become part of the desert.

"Do we still have something to drink?" one of them asked in a low voice.

"Nah. All our drinks are gone," another figure responded in a heavy voice.

"We cannot continue like this. I suggest we enter the town tomorrow," a female voice echoed.

For a moment, none of them responded. It was as if they did not hear her. Finally, one of them responded.

"Do you have enough silver coins to let us in?"

Hmm?

Listening to the question, the female was stunned for a moment before a heavy sigh escaped from her lips. If they had enough silver coins, why would they be hiding like rats inside the hot, unbearable dunes?

But it was becoming unbearable, and with their drinks that satiated their thirst gone, they were now in a bind.

"En... We..."

Whoosh!

Before the female voice could complete her statement, her voice cut off and everywhere became silent. But this silence was different from their previous silence.

It was heavy and suffocating.

Before the group could wonder what was going on, gusts of wind flashed past their position. Slowly, blood streaked down from all three-party members.

Their heads divided sharply into two.

Thud!

They fell apart, showing their brain tissues mixed with blood gushing out.

Even in death, their bodies remained half buried in the sand, as if the desert itself had swallowed their final screams.

Until death, they did not know what truly killed them.

One moment, they were discussing, and the next, they were dead.

Swift and efficient.

A few dunes from their position, a five-man party lay flat, buried among the desert sand beneath a dune. Their faces were barely visible.

No one talked.

No one breathed loudly.

It was silent like a graveyard.

Each conserved their strength.

Unlike the previous group, this party seemed more cautious. Their leader had drawn shallow marks on the sand, creating a hidden alarm circle around them.

Small bone bells were buried beneath the surface, and thin threads stretched between the rocks.

To ordinary enemies, approaching them without alerting anyone would be difficult.

Unfortunately, their enemy came from the air.

Swish! Swish!

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound echoed above their heads. And in a blink, the sound vanished, returning the area to its perfect stillness.

But if anyone looked carefully, they would see blood flowing out of the sand.

The five men did not move again.

Their hidden alarm circle remained untouched.

Their bone bells did not ring.

Their hands still clutched their weapons beneath the sand, but their lives had already been harvested.

Watching the swift action of the undead Sanguine Vultures, Thoren nodded with a pleased expression.

"Two down, eight to go," he whispered softly and turned his gaze to his next target.