[Scorpion City]

Inside the King’s chamber, a thick, suffocating tension hung in the air. The atmosphere was so oppressive that even breathing became difficult.

No one dared to speak carelessly.

All the Scorpion Elders held their breath, their hearts pounding heavily against their chests and their expressions were solemn.

Their eyes remained fixed on the entrance of the chamber as though expecting someone to rush in with good news.

It had been hours since the army had departed from the city to take down the humans and conquer Mantis Town.

By now...

They should have already received several reports but got none. At the beginning, this was a glorious event for the Scorpion Clansmen.

The entire city had celebrated the departure of the army. Countless Scorpion Men had roared with excitement.

Once again they were going to show their unrivaled might to the world, putting everyone in their place.

The humans would be crushed.

Mantis Town would once again belong to them.

Every race living within the Crimson Dune would once more remember why the Scorpion Clan stood at the very top.

But who would have thought, their mighty army had gone without sending back a report. At first, they did not think much of it.

No one believed anything could possibly threaten their mighty army..

They thought the battle might be going swiftly and the General might want to wrap up the battle in one swift motion before he reported to the King.

That explanation sounded reasonable.

After all, the General had always preferred decisive victories. But with each passing second, their uneasiness increased.

The chamber became increasingly quiet.

Even if the battle was going smoothly, the General would have dispatched a messenger to give the King some report.

That had always been the custom.

No matter how insignificant the update, the King was always informed.

Yet, they got nothing.

Nothing.

Silence.

That was what they got.

This wouldn’t have terrified them if not for what had happened earlier. The disappearance of their scouts had already cast a dark shadow over everyone’s hearts.

What happened to all their scouts sent to monitor the situation and what happened to Kharv, their talented Commander, was still fresh in their minds.

Kharv was no ordinary commander.

Yet...

He had vanished without leaving behind even a single trace. Those who ventured deep into the desert never returned.

And this was what scared them. It was as though the desert itself had transformed into invincible devouring beast.

Was it possible for their army never to return?

Impossible!

Many shook their heads, rejecting the thought. Their expressions became increasingly complicated.

Thousands of strong Scorpion Soldiers, how could they vanish into thin air?

That was impossible.

No matter how strong the enemies were, they could never defeat their army.

What about their commanders and the famously terrifying General?

Even if ordinary soldiers fell, surely the General would survive. Surely someone would escape to deliver a message.

It was no secret that, after their King, their next strongest Scorpion Man was the General.

His reputation spread throughout the Crimson Dune.

Countless enemies had fallen beneath his mighty saber.

Many clans had learned to fear his name. He had been undefeated for many years and every campaign he led ended in victory.

This was one of their confidence and pride.

They did not only have the King to hold the fort, but they also had the General.

A Level 39 Scorpion Man.

Yet...

Yet...

The fear and foreboding feeling in their minds never reduced but kept increasing with each passing second. It was like an invisible hand tightening around their hearts.

The longer they waited, the heavier the pressure became.

What were they going to do if the army never returned again?

It was a question no one wished to answer.

Yet, it continued to linger in everyone’s mind. The more they thought about it, the more their hearts pounded heavily against their ribs.

Every possible outcome they imagined ended in disaster.

If the army truly disappeared, the prestige of the Scorpion Clan would collapse overnight and they would become weak. Too weak to even raise their head among other Carapace Clan.

Just think of this, their heart was in their throat as if it was ready to escape from the suffocating tension.

Many were covered in perspiration. Cold sweat rolled down their foreheads.

Some unconsciously wiped their palms against their robes.

Many shifted on their seats.

Others repeatedly tapped their fingers against the armrests without realizing it. None dared look at their King directly. They could only look at him from the corner of their eyes.

The King’s expression remained calm.

However...

That very calmness placed even greater pressure upon them all. For minutes, the only thing that could be heard in the chamber was their fast-pounding hearts.

Their uneasiness was reaching its peak.

Hmm! Hmm!

Suddenly, the oldest Scorpion Elder cleared his throat, breaking the suffocating tension. The sound was not loud. Yet, inside the silent chamber, it sounded like thunder.

Instantly, everyone turned their gaze toward him, and many breathed a slow sigh of relief. The unbearable silence had finally been broken.

Several elders secretly relaxed their shoulders.

If the old elder had not broken the silence, many would have suffocated from the pressure inside out.

"I believe we all sense something is wrong with our army," the Old Elder began slowly, his sharp gaze wandering around the chamber.

Even though many did not respond, they all agreed with the Old Elder’s deduction.

Something was definitely wrong.

There was simply no other explanation.

Now, even a fool could tell.

The lack of communication alone was enough to raise suspicion. Combined with the disappearance of Kharv and every scouting party.

The situation had already become alarming.

"We all agree that something is definitely wrong. What should we do?" the Old Elder continued with the same flat tone.

He did not rush his words. Instead, he allowed each sentence to sink into everyone’s minds. But those close to him could detect the hidden nervousness in his tone.

"We need to act as quickly as possible. We don’t know what is really going on in the desert."

The old elder’s expression became increasingly solemn.

Waiting any longer would only make the situation worse.

"Also, we must find out what is going on with the desert. I don’t think this is the work of the humans." He slowly shook his head.

Although the humans had recently attracted much attention, they simply did not possess the strength to erase their entire army without leaving behind even a single report.

That was something even he refused to believe.

"Something mysterious is going on in the desert. We need to find out what it is before it swallows all our army and later affects our city."

The chamber immediately became quiet once more..

"What do you think?" he asked, looking at the elders before his gaze finally rested on the King.