Lord: I can see loyalty.

Vincent.

After exchanging information, Vio called out to Vincent, the captain of his personal guard who was waiting outside the room.

"What are your orders, my lord?" Vincent asked without hesitation as the door opened.

"I will assemble a team to venture deep into the desert, and the vanguard and guards will select willing members from the militia throughout the southern region." Vioton paused, then continued, "Militia members who join this operation will receive additional rewards, and those who suffer accidents will receive higher compensation!"

Vincent listened quietly, then nodded in acceptance and jogged away from the mansion.

Duke, following Vio's orders, didn't look much better and asked, "My lord, I'm afraid your method will hardly attract any warriors willing to join..."

"Really?" Vio smiled and turned around. "Then how many of you do you think will be willing to join out of the nearly one thousand-strong militia?"

"I'm afraid... less than a hundred?" Duke recalled the fear the people of the Southern Border had of the depths of the desert from his memories spanning hundreds of years.

Half a day later, in the main square of Bordeaux village.

Vio stood on the high platform with Gina, Jimmy, and Duke beside him. On the square, hundreds of militiamen stood solemnly, and all of the elite members of the pro-China faction were present.

"Incredible...!" Duke, standing on the high platform, looked down at the heads that made up almost half of the entire militia and couldn't help but add an exclamation from an ancient language at the end.

Vio simply stood aside with a detached smile on his face, then said to Jimmy beside him, "Order the troops to prepare for departure."

"Yes, sir." Jimmy gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist with his left hand, bowed slightly, then looked down and shouted, "Prepare to depart! Destination: Deep within the Nimantuo Desert!"

"oh!"

His response was a loud roar that echoed throughout the southern border.

Soon, a large militia force, led by Duke, began to advance into the depths of the Nemantu Desert.

At the front of the group, besides Duke, stood five other people: Vio, Gina, Jimmy, and the two people with magical talent who had been studying for some time.

Luca, Winnie.

……

The Nimantuo Desert is ravaged by sandstorms.

As the last patch of green disappeared from sight, the militia, led by Duke, arrived at the heart of the desert, a place recognized by the people of the South.

As far as the eye can see, there is an endless golden sea of ​​sand, with sand dunes in the distance resembling solidified giant waves, undulating and stretching to the horizon.

"Water bags, check the water bags!" Jimmy shouted from a high vantage point downwind. "Unless there are special circumstances, no one is allowed to drink more than necessary!"

This time, the militiamen did not shout in response, but silently carried out the orders. They were covered with coarse cloth to protect themselves from the sand, with only their eyes showing.

Gina walked beside Vio, her gaze not lingering on the dunes, but constantly scanning the surroundings for any dangers that might be hidden beneath the sand and rocks.

Luca and Winnie, the two young magic apprentices, appeared both excited and uneasy. Winnie would occasionally raise her hand to feel the heat wave, so different from that of Bordeaux Village, and whisper to Luca beside her, "I can feel... the flow of magic here is very fast!"

Duke walked at the front of the group, holding the "safe route" they had planned before setting off. His brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly, as if he could smell that familiar yet repulsive scent in the air.

"At this rate and time... I'm afraid we'll have to spend the night in this desert," Duke said, turning to Vio.

Vio nodded and said to Jimmy, "Let's stop here. If we go any further, we might encounter a swarm of giant scorpions, and then it won't be easy to rest."

After receiving the order, Jimmy quickly gave the militiamen a rest.

Hundreds of militiamen found a suitable, dark spot, sat down, and began to speak in hushed tones.

They were positioned beneath two massive boulders that formed an archway, creating a semi-circle that shielded them from the scorching sun.

As time passed, just a few hours later, the sun, which had been high in the sky, quickly set, and in its place, the temperature dropped sharply.

What is remarkable is that after nightfall, it was not so dark that it was impossible to see anything. On the contrary, in the deeper part of the desert, a rare and strange light flashed in the sky.

The militiamen were immediately drawn to the sight, marveling at the beauty they had never seen before, a sight they had never witnessed before, having grown up in the desert.

Vio was leaning against a makeshift bed made of coarse cloth, while Gina sat beside him, also gazing at the beautiful scenery.

But just then, the sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the night.

"My lord! Chief Jimmy!" A mounted elite militiaman rushed frantically toward the group of people under the boulder.

Not far from Vio, Jimmy, who was discussing the route with Duke, looked up and frowned slightly when he saw the newcomer.

The opponent's name was Raymond Cameron, a relatively steady member of the elite militia, which is why he was chosen as the vanguard.

But now the other person seemed like a completely different person, looking terrified and uneasy. Jimmy called out in his direction, "Raymond, what's wrong?"

"Captain!" Raymond shouted breathlessly as he reached the group, "A swarm of giant scorpions and a sandstorm are heading our way!"

Upon hearing this, not only the surrounding militiamen, but also Jimivio, Duke, and others widened their eyes in astonishment.

The sandstorm was within their expectations, and with the protection of the boulders, they weren't worried. But what was the deal with this swarm of giant scorpions?

According to the recorded intelligence, there were no giant scorpion colonies in their area.

"Damn it..." Duke seemed to realize something as well, his face darkening. "Could it be that Eclipse God?"

The people around them exchanged glances, and then Jimmy broke the deadlock.

"Prepare for battle!"

Fortunately, the militiamen were still awake and their attention was drawn to the desert spectacle. Soon, the crowd began to surge under their command, and they all took their weapons.

Vio stood on the hill, his gaze fixed on the distance.

Within sight, a group of dark figures were rushing towards them at an astonishing speed, and Vio's eyelids twitched involuntarily at the sight.

This scene was so similar to the traffic at a crossroads in my past life; these giant scorpions were like cars attacking them!

In no time, the swarm of giant scorpions arrived in front of the militiamen. Upon closer inspection, they were even more astonishing, each one nearly two meters long, with sharp, venomous stingers swaying behind it.

"defense!"

Heavily armored militiamen wielding giant shields stood at the forefront, and the giant scorpions, as if they had already locked onto their targets, charged towards the militiamen as soon as they got close.

Boom!

The sharp poisonous barbs pierced through the defenses, and the militiamen were stunned for a moment. One of them accidentally cut his arm, which turned black and blue in an instant.

Du Ke stared intently at the scene, then quickly said to Jimmy beside him, "Send the others to fetch the antidote!"

The venom of this giant scorpion can kill a person in less than half an hour if it scratches the skin. Fortunately, the Southern Territory found an antidote a hundred years ago.

Jimmy's face was grim. He ordered, "You teams! Go to the rear and get the antidote and weapons! You teams, replace the militia at the front!"

As the poisoned militiamen were taken to the rear and given the antidote, they recovered within seconds, leaving only their exposed wounds.

"My lord, we must use magic to deal with them!" Duke stood in front of Vio, raising his hand as he did so.

The next moment, a magic circle appeared, followed by several burning fireballs shooting out!

Bang!

The magic struck the group of giant scorpions that looked like they were wearing heavy armor, and the effect was immediate. The high temperature instantly melted their hard shells, and the giant scorpions that were hit struggled a few times before going still.

Vio, seeing this, did not hesitate and looked at Luca and Winnie, who were siblings beside him.

"Then I'll leave it to you."