[Horn Lizard Town]

Inside the Horn Lizard King’s residence, the Horn Lizard King sat upon his throne, his face filled with pride while a faint smile flickered at the corner of his lips.

Everything had unfolded according to the plan he had painstakingly prepared.

Standing a couple of feet before him, one of his trusted aides knelt on one knee as he delivered his report. t.

"My King, the battle has already started, and it is in our favor," he continued, his voice filled with respect and reverence.

But inwardly, he was deeply troubled and confused.

As one of the closest aides to the King, he somewhat knew of their plan to attack the Scorpion Clan.

This had been the plan all along.

When every Horn Lizard soldier heard they were finally attacking their lifelong enemy, their morale soared, and every one of them was filled with anticipation.

This included him.

Finally, they could avenge their fallen family members and comrades while also taking their rightful place in the Crimson Dunes.

For generations, they had dreamed of overthrowing the Scorpion Clan’s rule and becoming the new overlords of the desert.

But now, the situation had spiraled beyond his imagination. Everything changed so suddenly that he still found it difficult to believe.

He couldn’t fathom what had happened in the hours before the real fight.

Although he was confused and puzzled, he still completed his mission, and his loyalty to the King never wavered. Whatever His Majesty decided, he believed there had to be a reason beyond the understanding of ordinary Horn Lizard Men.

Listening to the report, the King nodded without any change in his expression.

"How are the humans reacting? Do you think they can inflict serious casualties on our soldiers?" the King asked.

This had always been his greatest concern.

Unlike the Scorpion Clan, which did not have to worry about any insurgence from either the humans or the other Beastmen races.

He did not have such luxury.

If his soldiers sustained too many injuries and deaths, it would weaken both his town and his people.

And in that case, he might become the true loser in the end.

Thus, he could not afford to lose too many men.

Listening to the King’s question, the Horn Lizard soldier fell silent for a moment. Before returning from the battlefield, he had watched the battle for a few moments.

And what he saw left him frightened.

The excitement on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by lingering fear. He unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva before speaking.

Even though they were physically superior to the humans and their natural advantages gave them an edge, they were facing humans with countless strange abilities.

He dared not say they could completely overwhelm them without shedding a little blood.

Most especially, the leader of the human faction.

Her twin blades were harvesting members of their clan as if they were nothing more than rootless weeds.

Everywhere she appeared, Horn Lizard soldiers fell one after another, leaving trails of blood and corpses in her wake.

Taking a deep breath, he arranged his thoughts and spoke slowly.

"Some of the humans are powerful, but with our strong soldiers, they should be able to take them down with ease."

"As for how many soldiers we might lose..."

"It should be between one hundred and two hundred."

The Horn Lizard King nodded.

This was still acceptable to him.

Compared to what he would gain from this war, sacrificing one or two hundred soldiers was a price he was willing to pay.

’After this is over, I must use this golden opportunity to strengthen my clan.’

His serpentine eyes flickered with ambition.

To him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he must never let slip away.

For many years, he had been planning ways to close the distance between his clan and the Scorpion Clan.

To overthrow the Scorpion Clan.

As for the humans, he did not care about them.

To him, they posed no threat at all. The humans needed his town to survive in the Bleeding Desert.

Not the other way around.

Without the protection of Horn Lizard Town, they would quickly become prey to the countless dangers lurking throughout the Crimson Dunes.

And if they decided to leave his town...

He wouldn’t care.

But did they dare leave his town?

A sharp glint flashed through his serpentine eyes.

In his mind, there was nowhere else for them to go.

Now that he had obtained what he truly wanted from the Scorpion Clan, he no longer had to care about the humans or the other Beastman races.

The opportunity to finally stand on equal footing with the Scorpion Clan had finally fallen into place.

He slowly shifted his gaze toward his trusted aide.

"Go back to the battlefield and keep an eye on the war."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"If the humans choose to surrender, we will not make things difficult for them."

"We will take all of their weapons."

"They must also pay a price for their freedom."

The Horn Lizard King’s voice was calm, but every word carried unquestionable authority.

If the humans wished to continue living within Horn Lizard Town, today’s lesson must be a chain tightly wrapped around their neck.

Even though he only allied with the Crimson Arc Guild, he did not care.

Humans were humans.

After this battle, he wouldn’t allow the human race to live as freely as they previously lived. They must pay a huge price for staying in his town and anyone he did not want to comply with his order would learn why he was the Horn Lizard King.

Slowly, the aid rose to his feet and paid his respect one more time before he departed from the King’s presence. But inwardly, he was truly troubled.

If previously, he thought there might be a deep reason why their king decided to betray the human. This time, he couldn’t understand this.

’Did the king think we can handle all the human fighters?’

Just thinking about the hundreds of human spectators sent a cold shiver down his spine. If those decided to join the battle..

He did not dare complete his train of thought.

’I hope the King knows what he is doing?’

****

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