[Scorpion City]

News of the battle outside the city gate had spread like wildfire throughout Scorpion City.

Old and young.

Men and women.

Each was discussing the news. The more the news spread, the more twisted it became. Rumors were passed from one street to another.

By the time the news reached the outer districts, it had become almost unrecognizable.

"I heard they want us to deliver our king to them."

"Really? What I heard is different from yours."

"Really? What did you hear?"

"I heard they asked us to leave our city and become their slaves. Can you imagine it?"

Scorpion Men gathered in twos and threes, discussing the matter with boiling rage.

Scorpion Men were a race filled with pride and arrogance.

Their pride had been forged through generations of conquest.

Their arrogance came from centuries of standing at the very top of the Bleeding Desert.

Now, with such rumors spreading among the common Scorpion Men, most of them could not stomach such blatant disrespect.

Such contempt.

They were the ones that looked down on other races, not the other way around.

Their race had always been feared.

Their banners had always inspired terror.

Never had they imagined that one day they would become the target of ridicule.

And now, humans that were not from their world were demanding that they leave their home.

How could they accept it?

True or not?

They did not care.

All they wanted right now was to make everyone in the Crimson Dune pay dearly for such contempt.

Some were even clamoring to turn the humans into their slaves.

It was not like some Scorpion Men did not already have human slaves, but now, they wanted to make it official and spread the practice throughout the Bleeding Desert.

Voices of hatred echoed from every corner of the city.

The streets became increasingly chaotic.

Every conversation revolved around revenge.

Quickly, Scorpion Men rushed into the streets, shouting and yelling, demanding that the humans pay the price.

They wanted war.

They needed it.

They needed to show this lowborn species why they were the rulers of the Bleeding Desert. Their blood boiled with excitement.

They moved in droves toward their king’s palace.

They demanded justice.

They demanded their pride be won back.

Their voices merged into one overwhelming roar.

The entire city shook with murderous intent.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, the king’s chamber was deathly quiet as all the Scorpion Elders stared at their king.

Right now, only their king could make the final decision.

Decision for what?

War.

Everyone patiently awaited his command.

Looking at the elders staring at him, the Scorpion King slowly opened his eyes. The space inside the chamber trembled.

It vibrated vehemently as if it was going to shatter into pieces. An invisible pressure instantly filled the enormous chamber.

Even the surrounding air seemed to become heavier. Each elder shivered in their seat.

Many had their hearts jump in fright.

It was as if they were standing before a deadly creature that was going to swallow them whole.

Cold sweat slowly appeared on several elders’ foreheads.

Despite serving beside the King for many years, they still found it difficult to withstand his terrifying presence.

Some had thought with their continuous increase in strength, they were getting closer to their king strength but now...

They realized how naive they were.

As for the Scorpion King, he did not care about the elders’ trembling bodies as he opened his mouth and spoke.

"War." His voice filled with finality.

A single word.

But that single word contained everything they ever needed. With that, the King closed his eyes as if he was never bothered by what was going to happen next.

His expression remained completely indifferent. To him, this decision required no further discussion.

Quickly, the elders sprang into action.

They left the King’s chamber to prepare for war.

For many years, humans and other races had undermined the authority of their Scorpion Clan, but today...

They were going to remind everyone why they were the sole rulers of the Bleeding Desert.

Quickly, the news of war spread throughout Scorpion City, and the Scorpion Men and women couldn’t help but cheer with joy.

The deafening cheers echoed throughout every street.

This was what they expected from their king.

War.

No compromise.

No negotiations.

Only conquest.

Within minutes, the Scorpion Army was in motion.

The wheels of battle had already started moving, and they wouldn’t stop until they brought down the humans and Mantis Men that had desecrated their holy clan’s name.

...

...

In an unknown location, a group of men draped in black cloaks spoke in solemn voices.

The underground chamber was dimly lit.

Only a few flickering lanterns illuminated the room. The identities of every person present remained hidden beneath their cloaks.

"What is going on?" one of them asked.

His voice carried obvious frustration.

"We don’t know, but it seems some people are trying to cause chaos and shatter everything we’ve built," another figure responded.

"We can’t allow this... For the past week, we have lost a lot of our men without catching the culprit. If this continues, we are going to lose all our influence and power."

Listening to this, the group remained silent for a moment.

The silence itself became heavy.

Everyone understood the seriousness of the situation.

They had been trying to find out the group or person behind the sudden disappearance of their people, but to no avail.

It was futile.

Every clue eventually reached a dead end.

Worst of all, one of their Young Lords had mysteriously disappeared with three Scorpion Men. This had led to a breach in contract with the Scorpion Clan.

The pressure placed upon them had grown heavier by the day. Several hidden operations had already been forced to stop.

Their main suspect was the Grim Reaper.

Even they suspected the Grim Reaper.

His movements were unknown, and they could not be tracked.

Worse, he was more terrifying than any enemy the guild had ever faced.

No one knew where he would appear next.

No one knew how many subordinates he truly possessed.

No one even knew the full extent of his strength.

Previously, their plan was to take over Mantis Town and also take the Crimson Arc Guild captive, forcing the Grim Reaper to surrender.

But who would have thought their plans would fail? Instead of weakening the Grim Reaper...

They had strengthened him.

Worse, the Grim Reaper had access to unlimited resources just like their Holy Son.

This alone overturned everything.

What did the Bleeding Desert lack?

And with the Grim Reaper having access to unlimited resources, they lost their edge against him.

Previously, they could control many human awakeners because of these resources. Desperate awakeners had no choice but to rely upon them.

But with the Grim Reaper opening Black Water...

They had lost their dominant position.

Various bounty hunters that flocked to them for help and assistance would rather journey to Mantis Town than become their dogs.

Just then, a sudden buzzing echoed through the air, bringing everyone out of their thoughts.

One of the cloaked figures raised his hand, and a bee-like insect landed on his palm.

Buzz! Buzz!

The bee made various sounds for a couple of seconds before it flew off deep into the desert.

Silence.

Every gaze landed upon the cloaked figure.

"What is it?" one of them asked.

Everyone looked at him.

The cloaked figure slowly lowered his hand and his expression gradually became solemn.

"The Scorpion Clan has just declared war," the figure said slowly.

****

[AN:

100 Golden Tickets + 2 Chapters.

Message Chair +3 Chapters

Magic Castle + 5 Chapters.

Golden Gachapoon. + 12 Chapters.

For Magic Castle, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within three days.

Golden Gachapoon, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within ten days.

]