Standing on a dune, Thoren looked at the endless dunes in the distance without any change in his expression.

But inwardly, various thoughts were running through his mind.

Since the plan to flip the table had already begun, he knew he couldn’t be complacent.

Every step from this point onward would determine whether Black Water continued to rise or was buried beneath the sands forever.

Only a fool would think the Scorpion Clan was a simple target.

For them to rule the Crimson Dune for years, that alone spoke volumes of their power and deep inheritance.

Their strength had been forged over countless generations.

Even though he knew it wouldn’t be easy, he wasn’t ready to give up nor turn back.

Retreat had never been part of his plan.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance, rushing toward his direction at breathtaking speed. The figure crossed one dune after another with astonishing agility.

Sand exploded beneath every step.

Thoren stared at the figure for a moment, and a slight smile crept onto his face.

’Aligning with the Crimson Arc Guild was the right decision,’ he thought.

Without their assistance, carrying out such a large-scale operation would have been far more difficult.

A few minutes later, the figure appeared before him.

It was Solenne.

She landed lightly upon the sand before letting out a slow breath.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting for too long," Solenne said with a bright smile.

Thoren shook his head. "Not at all. How is it? I hope you did not encounter any problems?"

Looking at her, he saw some bruises on her body, and a portion of her robe had been torn.

Despite the injuries, her expression remained composed.

"It’s nothing. I just had to teach those damn Scorpions some lessons," she replied with a prideful scoff escaping from her lips.

There was not the slightest trace of fear in her eyes.

Instead, they were filled with confidence.

Thoren did not speak, as he could already imagine what had happened.

Knowing Solenne’s personality, she definitely would not retreat quietly if provoked.

"So, when are they going to attack us?" he asked.

As a matter of fact, he knew the Scorpion Men would never open their library to him nor to any humans just because they asked for it.

As for their ancient archive, they would rather die than let it fall into the hands of the human race.

Thus, he was already prepared for a full blown war.

"They’ve already started moving," Solenne replied calmly, her eyes never leaving Thoren’s face.

She knew how crazy their plan was.

She was betting the lives of all her guild members on Thoren’s crazy plan.

Many would call her reckless and heartless for putting many lives in danger.

But she did not care.

Lives of every awakener were in danger from the moment they awakened.

This was the brutal reality.

It was either they fought against all odds and hoped they overcame them, or they succumbed to their ill fate.

There was no middle ground.

There was no peaceful life waiting for them.

She had been in the Crimson Dune for close to two years without any hope of ascending to the higher floor.

During those years, she had watched countless companions lose hope.

They were being suppressed by the Slave Trade Guild, the Silver Crest Guild, and the Scorpion Clan at every angle.

And now, with the opportunity to change their destiny, how could she miss such a golden opportunity?

It was now or never.

"Very well." Thoren nodded slightly.

"I will handle the Scorpion Clan while you should keep an eye on the Slave Trade Guild in Horn Lizard Town."

"I know..." Solenne responded with a solemn expression.

"I’ve already had my trusted men working on it. You can count on me."

"That’s good." He nodded.

"Let me go and welcome our visitors."

He turned his gaze and looked toward the north.

"If anything comes up, you know how to find me."

Solenne gave a noncommittal smile and turned to race in the other direction. Each of them had a vital role to play in the plan if everything was going to move smoothly.

Neither could afford failure.

Within a couple of seconds, she had vanished from view, and her footprints had been covered by sand.

The desert quickly erased every trace of her presence.

Alone, Thoren took a deep breath and took out a map from his inventory.

This was the map of the Crimson Dune.

Various markings covered the surface.

He stared at the map for a moment before he returned it to his inventory. Everything had already been committed to memory.

Screech!

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a massive undead Greater Dune Scorpion emerged.

Looking at the undead beast, Thoren did not hesitate and jumped onto its back. A deep screech came from the undead beast as it raced deeper into the desert.

....

....

In another part of the Crimson Dune, dozens of Scorpion Men walked out of the empty town. For a moment, each of the Scorpion Men had an ugly expression on their faces.

Veins protruded on their foreheads, and their hands tightened around their weapons.

The entire town was eerily silent.

Not a single living soul remained.

"Damn humans," one of them spat, his eyes burning with hatred.

Right now, their hearts were burning like a raging inferno. Each of them couldn’t wait to get their hands on the person that committed such atrocities.

Their murderous intent surged endlessly.

Every one of them wished to tear the culprit apart with their own claws.

"Let’s return immediately. We must inform the commander about this," one of them responded as he looked toward the distant dunes.

Even though the humans had challenged them, they never thought they would dare kill every member of their clansmen living in the towns.

They had never expected complete annihilation. Worse, this was not the only town that had become empty.

All their towns had become empty.

Every settlement they visited had become a ghost town.

Their clansmen had all vanished.

They had all been annihilated.

Listening to him, all the Scorpion Men nodded as they prepared to make their way back to their city and make a report.

This information had to reach the King immediately. But then, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

Dust and sand rose into the air.

The vibrations became stronger with every passing second.

What’s happening?

What is coming?

Before they could understand what was happening, they saw figures coming down from the dunes around them.

Hundreds of them.

They looked like Scorpion Men, but they did not possess any life force. Their eyes were burning with eerie soul flames.

"T-This..."

Surrounded by the figures, the Scorpion Men trembled, and their hearts skipped a beat.

Those undead... Were their own clansmen.

"Stop!"

"Stop!"

*****

[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. 


]