Early the next morning.

As the first pale light of dawn appeared on the horizon, the entire western desert was still shrouded in a faint chill. A cool morning breeze swept fine grains of sand across the camp, and as the first rays of sunlight gradually illuminated the horizon, the camp, which had remained quiet throughout the night, slowly came back to life.

The young Beast Tamers who had been rescued the previous night looked noticeably better after an entire night’s rest. Although their bodies were still weak, at least they were now able to move on their own. Worker ants methodically distributed prepared food and clean water to everyone, while soldier ants remained stationed around the perimeter of the camp, vigilantly patrolling the surroundings and refusing to overlook even the slightest disturbance.

Beside the campfire, Akira carefully rewrapped the injured hand of the last child. After making sure the bandage was secure, she slowly stood up and gently brushed the sand from her clothes.

Just then, Nox walked over to her. He glanced at the children who were resting before calmly saying,

"I’ll leave them to you."

Akira did not answer immediately. Instead, she quietly looked at Nox for a brief moment.

His figure was reflected in her clear eyes as memories of the past few days surfaced in her mind. Although it had only been a day, from their meeting in the desert to the countless battles they had fought side by side and the children they had rescued together, she had gradually grown accustomed to having him by her side without even realizing it and was beginning to fear that he might disappear again unannounced.

After a brief silence, Nox spoke again in his usual calm voice.

"If you run into danger, don’t hesitate. The children’s safety comes first."

His tone was as composed as ever, yet it carried a seriousness that left no room for argument.

Hearing those words, a faint smile slowly spread across Akira’s lips.

"Don’t worry."

She gave a gentle nod. There was not the slightest trace of hesitation in her beautiful eyes. Instead, they were filled with unwavering confidence and determination.

She naturally knew what Nox was about to do.

The Flaming Rose’s underground base was not only an intricate labyrinth, but it was also crawling with enemies. Bringing along these newly rescued children, who had almost no ability to fight, would not only make it impossible to protect them, but would instead place them in even greater danger.

"I’ll take them to the nearest human settlement and wait there for you to come back."

After hearing that, Nox simply nodded.

"We’ll return."

Akira quietly looked at him as a gentle smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Don’t make me wait too long."

Nox didn’t reply. Instead, he naturally raised his hand and gently ruffled her soft hair.

Akira froze for a moment, and a faint blush quickly spread across the tips of her fair ears. Even so, she didn’t move away and simply stood there quietly.

Naturally, that scene didn’t escape the notice of the nearby children.

Many of them secretly looked at the two of them with meaningful smiles, while several couldn’t help letting out quiet giggles.

The moment Akira noticed, her face became even redder.

"What are you all looking at?!"

Hearing that, the children immediately lowered their heads, pretending that nothing had happened. However, their shoulders continued trembling slightly, clearly struggling to hold back their laughter.

Seeing this, a faint smile also appeared on Nox’s face.

Soon after, he and Nyx turned around together and slowly headed deeper into the desert, their figures quickly disappearing into the endless sea of yellow sand.

Along the way, the fierce desert winds constantly swept clouds of sand past them, yet neither of them spoke. They simply continued walking westward in silence.

Nyx remained in the lead, her slender hand lightly gripping her Holy Sword while her sharp eyes continuously scanned every nearby sand dune, refusing to overlook anything suspicious.

Before long, she suddenly stopped.

"It’s over there."

She slowly raised her hand and pointed toward an ordinary looking sand dune in the distance, one that appeared completely unremarkable.

Nox followed the direction she pointed.

To an ordinary person, there would be absolutely nothing unusual about that dune.

However, through his perception, he could clearly sense countless life signatures hidden beneath it, along with numerous powerful energy fluctuations slowly emanating from underground.

That was the true underground headquarters of the Flaming Rose.

Nyx glanced toward the seemingly ordinary stretch of desert before them, then turned to her brother.

"So? What’s the plan?"

"Simple." Nox took a step back, leaving the open space before the hidden entrance. "We’re here to wipe them out, not sneak in."

Nyx immediately understood what he meant.

Without another word, she stepped forward, her expression growing calm and focused as immense spiritual energy quietly gathered around her body. Invisible ripples spread through the air, causing the surrounding sand to tremble ever so slightly beneath the overwhelming pressure.

The next moment, she slowly raised her right hand.

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion abruptly tore through the heavens as a terrifying shockwave swept across the surrounding area. The entire sand dune shattered in an instant, while countless tons of yellow sand erupted into the sky like a massive storm before raining back down, completely engulfing everything within several hundred meters.

The enormous metal gate hidden beneath the desert was instantly exposed to the sunlight, and shrill alarms almost simultaneously erupted throughout the underground base.

"Enemy attack!"

"The base has been exposed!"

"Quick! Notify everyone!"

Accompanied by panicked shouts, figures clad in crimson robes rushed out through the entrance one after another. Every face was filled with unconcealed shock and alarm, as none of them had expected their headquarters, hidden for so long, to be blown open in such a direct and overwhelming manner.

...

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