Standing in front of the Scorpion Clan City, the only city in the Crimson Dunes, Solenne stared at the dense dozens of guards around the city wall with a stoic expression.

Even though she had come prepared, standing in front of such a terrifying and intimidating force still gave her mental pressure.

Without Thoren, she would not have had the courage to come to the Scorpion City, even if she was given ten lives.

She might be a Level 37, close to Level 38 Blade Dancer, but she knew better than to think she was strong enough to contend with the domineering Scorpion Men.

The Scorpion City was not like Mantis Town.

It was not like the smaller settlements scattered around the Crimson Dunes.

It was a true fortress.

A symbol of power.

The walls rose high above the crimson sand, dark and rough like they had been carved from the bones of ancient beasts.

From every watch point, cold eyes looked down at her.

But now, with their plans in motion, this was not the time to cower in fear.

If they were going to step out of the shadow of the Slave Trade Guild and the Scorpion Clan, they had to act.

She knew she had to do this.

Not only her, every member of her guild needed this.

It was either they succeeded or died trying.

Clearing her throat, she enhanced her voice with her mana. "I am Solenne, the Guild Master of the Crimson Arc Guild. I have a message for your king."

Her voice reverberated throughout the city entrance and deep into the city. All the guards stared at the puny human with flickers of surprise on their faces.

Surprise, that was all.

Slowly, their expressions twisted into disdain.

They were Scorpion Men, rulers of the Bleeding Desert. How dared a puny human disturb their peace?

Worse, she dared to have the audacity to carry a message for their king.

The audacity.

The courage.

Every Scorpion Man at the city entrance had his blood boiling in fury.

They felt their pride had been trampled on.

Humans were lower species they took pity on.

How dared she think they were on equal standing?

To many of them, humans were useful only because they could trade strange objects, and die in ruins where Scorpion Men did not wish to waste their lives.

But standing before their city gate, calling for their king, was different.

It was an insult.

An open provocation.

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, one of the guards shot forward at breathtaking speed, covering the short distance between them.

Seeing this, Solenne was not surprised.

She responded with equally fierce momentum.

She was already prepared for a life and death battle.

Scorpion Men could not be reasoned with like every other Beastman.

Their pride would not allow them.

Thus...

Bang! Bang!

The Level 35 Scorpion guard moved with ferocity and killing intent. Each of his targets was meant for a kill.

His claw moved at dazzling speed, cutting through the air and arriving before Solenne’s neck.

The intention was clear.

Rip out her neck in one clean kill.

But he underestimated the leader of a guild.

Without thinking, she leaned back a fraction of an inch, evading the deadly claw attack and retaliating with her blades.

The Scorpion guard might be fast, but she was a lot faster.

Especially her blade movement.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As a Blade Dancer, she danced before the Scorpion guard. She turned and twisted to the left and right in a second while her blades cut deep into the Scorpion’s chest and leg.

Argh! Argh!

A miserable scream escaped from his mouth as he stumbled backward, but he did not forget to strike with his stinger.

As if expecting it, she parried the stinger to the side while her second blade cut it off in one clean motion.

Ahhhhhhh!

A soul rending scream escaped from the guard as he fell on his butt in agony. Blood gushed out from his injuries like a broken dam.

Solenne did not bat an eye at him as her gaze locked onto the Scorpion Men watching the battle. Their previous disdain had vanished, replaced with shock.

The air before the gate became still.

The injured guard writhed on the ground, clutching the severed base of his stinger.

For Scorpion Men, the stinger was not just a weapon.

It was pride.

It was status.

It was a symbol of their bloodline’s brutality.

To have it severed by a human woman in front of the city gate was humiliation worse than ordinary defeat.

Just then, a deep growl broke the still silence as a stronger Scorpion guard rushed forward.

This time, it was a Level 36 Scorpion guard.

Watching the burly Scorpion guard rushing toward her, Solenne did not wait like a fool. She rushed forward and closed the distance.

Her speed was terrifyingly fast, leaving afterimages.

She evaded the two deadly claw attacks from the guard, appearing behind him, and struck his defenseless back before severing his stinger in one clean strike.

Ahhhhhhh!

The Scorpion guard fell to the ground screaming in agony. His defeat was even faster than the first guard.

How was this possible?

How could a mere human defeat their guards?

Shock and disbelief were plastered on their faces.

They were unwilling to believe they were weaker than a mere human.

Their pride would not allow it.

Several Scorpion Men on the wall leaned forward, their eyes filled with fury.

Some gripped their weapons.

Some hissed under their breath.

Some stared at Solenne with killing intent so thick it almost felt physical.

Yet Solenne stood calmly before the gate, her blades lowered slightly at her sides.

Blood dripped from the edges of her weapons.

The desert wind blew against her cloak, but her expression remained cold.

She had not come here to beg.

She had not come here to kneel.

She had come here to deliver a message.

And if the Scorpion Clan refused to listen, then she would make them listen with blood.

Boiling with rage and killing intent, the Scorpion Guard Captain stepped forward.

A Level 37 Scorpion Man.

Unlike the others, he wielded a massive axe.

When the Scorpion Men saw their Guard Captain coming forward, their confidence and pride returned. A slow sneer appeared on their faces.

To them, the battle was already over.

They could not wait to see Solenne in a pool of blood.

The Guard Captain’s body was far larger than the two guards before him.

His shell was darker.

His stinger was longer.

His muscles bulged beneath the hard plates of his body, and every step he took left deep prints in the sand.

The massive axe in his hand looked like it had been made for execution rather than battle.

While the Scorpion Men were brimming with confidence and pride, the Scorpion Guard Captain stared at her for a moment.

Whoosh!

He jumped forward, covering the distance in a blink.

Bang!

He landed before Solenne, raised his axe, and struck.

Bang!

Dust rose to the sky, and the ground trembled, but Solenne was long gone. She appeared on his left, with her blade whistling toward the Guard Captain’s neck and chest.