Chapter 24 – Hunters and Prey

“Yes, sir!”

With a sharp command from Lucius, the Vanguard moved into position.

The group, composed of roughly two hundred elite soldiers, was an imposing sight of white and gold against the gray of the desert.

They advanced in a perfect wedge formation, forming a “V” with the twelve battle mages at the center, protected by shield knights, while soldiers flanked both sides, keeping their catalysts active and ready to strike at any moment.

The horses galloped in a steady rhythm, their hooves producing a muffled sound against the gray sand. Lucius kept his mount alongside the General’s, his excitement practically overflowing from his expression.

“So far, the purification of this sector has been the most efficient of the campaign, General,” he commented, raising his voice above the sound of the wind.

“My group eliminated more than three hundred specimens in the last forty-eight hours alone. Between the smaller worm nests and those scorpions, we left nothing standing.”

The vice-commander gestured with one hand, pointing toward the dunes rushing past them.

“I noticed that the deeper we advanced, the monsters’ physical resistance increased, but their intelligence seemed to decrease. They fought like cornered beasts with no strategy.” His tone carried a hint of amusement as he said it.

Valerius did not take his eyes off the horizon for even a second. He remained like a statue atop his mount, the reins firm and his expression icy.

“And what else?” he asked.

“We’ve killed seven brood queens since this morning,” Lucius continued, clearly eager to impress the General with the numbers.

“If we keep this pace, the Ashen Desert will be nothing but a myth by the end of the week. You should have seen how the mages handled the last underground nest—absolute incineration. Not even ashes were left to tell the story.”

Lucius smiled, his eyes shining with the thought of imminent glory.

To him, this incursion was a display of power.

He didn’t seem to notice that as they pushed deeper, the sound of the wind was changing and the gray sand had begun to accumulate in the folds of their armor.

Valerius, however, felt the change.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the shadows dancing between the ashen dunes ahead, remaining silent while Lucius continued listing enemy casualties.

“Lucius,” the General called, his voice cutting through the young man’s report of achievements. “Do you have any idea how many Cindralisk tribes exist in this desert?”

Lucius hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered his confident smile, striking his chest with a fist.

“The exact number is irrelevant, sir. The deeper we go, the stronger they may become, that’s true… but with our squad? Even a Platinum-Rank adventurer would think twice before standing in our way—let alone with you leading us.”

He finished with a slight bow of his head, placing Valerius on the same level as the living legends of the continent.

Valerius gave no reply. His horse continued forward while his eyes remained fixed on the dunes.

Suddenly—

“We’re close!” the soldier responsible for tracking shouted, raising his arm while holding the crystal staff.

“The [Solar Aether Link] is vibrating. It’s telling me the trail ends just ahead. They’re right beneath us!”

The General raised his right hand.

In perfect unison, the two hundred mounts stopped, kicking up a curtain of gray dust.

“Step forward,” Valerius ordered the tracker. “Lead the way.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldier obeyed, moving cautiously. He followed the invisible threads of mana that only his trained eyes could see, stopping in a depression between two massive dunes.

He turned back, excited.

“Here, General! Beneath this layer are the main tunnels! It’s an entire tribe!”

“Lucius, take command,” Valerius ordered without bothering to dismount.

Lucius happily accepted the order and jumped down from his horse in a fluid motion, unsheathing his sword, which gleamed with intense golden light under the sun.

He walked to the front of the army and turned toward the men with an inspiring smile.

“Prepare yourselves, sons of the Sun!” he proclaimed. “Today the desert calls for purification! We will not allow the shadows to find refuge beneath our feet. By the Light—eradicate the plague!”

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Lucius pointed to the ground and roared the attack order.

The mages and soldiers began bombarding the area with impact spells, forcing the collapse of the upper crust.

The sand gave way, revealing the dark cavernous architecture of underground tunnels—a vast network capable of housing hundreds of monsters.

But the moment the entrance was exposed, the ground didn’t simply collapse.

It exploded.

BOOM!

A colossal serpent burst from the depths like a volcano of scales.

It was at least twenty meters long, with rigid scales above its eyes that protruded like demonic horns. Its eyes were milky white orbs devoid of pupils, shining with predatory hunger.

Lucius reacted quickly, reaching out to pull the tracker beside him—but the snake was faster.

It erupted beneath the soldier, launching him into the air in a spray of dark sludge. The man let out piercing screams before crashing down heavily, his body coated in a thick greenish liquid.

It was a corrosive venom so potent that the white armor blessed by the Empire began to melt and hiss like wax in fire.

“Help him!” Lucius shouted, dragging the writhing soldier back into formation while the troops reacted, unleashing volleys of magic at the creature.

Healing mages rushed forward, pouring potions and regenerative spells over the melting metal fused to the soldier’s flesh, desperately trying to save him.

Lucius, his face speckled with sand, looked toward the General, waiting for a counterattack order.

But Valerius remained motionless on his horse, watching the serpent with cold disdain.

“It’s an Abyssal Sand Serpent,” he said, his voice sounding like a final verdict. “Its level should be around 110. It’s a solitary monster—it does not live with Cindralisks.”

Lucius paled, his hand trembling around the hilt of his sword.

“You were deceived, Lucius.”

“W-what?” Lucius froze.