Leaving the Silver Crest Guild headquarters, Riven and his squad headed toward the deeper part of the Horn Lizard Town.

Walking on the crowded street, everyone paved the way as if they were avoiding them. The intimidating aura from Riven and his squad made many shivers.

Quickly, they arrived before a massive building with a tall wall surrounding it. The area was fully dominated by the Horn Lizard Men.

The enormous walls towered over the surrounding buildings.

Surrounding the wall were Horn Lizard Guards with their muscles bulging heavily beneath their crudely made leather armor.

Their presence was intimidating.

Their tails swayed gently beneath the desert wind.

Their reptilian eyes locked onto the group of humans before them.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Neither side made any unnecessary movement.

Before one of the Horn Lizard Men could speak, Riven stepped forward.

"I’m Riven from the Crimson Arc Guild," he said calmly. "I’m here to deliver a message to your king."

Hmm?

The Horn Lizard Men were stunned for a moment before one of them spoke in a deep, hoarse voice.

"Wait a moment."

The guard carefully examined every member of the Elite Squad.

With that, one of the Horn Lizard Guards rushed into the building to deliver the message to their king.

Riven and his men did not have to wait for too long before the guard returned.

"Come in..." the Horn Lizard Captain beckoned for them to follow him.

Riven led his men and followed the guard captain into the Horn Lizard Clan Palace.

Walking on the narrow path toward the palace hall, they saw various Horn Lizard Men guarding every corner of the palace.

Some stood motionless like statues.

Others silently patrolled the grounds with disciplined steps.

Everywhere they looked, guards could be seen. The security of the palace was far tighter than the Silver Crest Guild headquarters.

But what caught their attention were the few trees growing in the compound.

This was the first time they had ever seen a living tree.

Their green leaves gently swayed beneath the dry desert wind.

Even though there were only a few of them, they stood out vividly. There were rumors that Scorpion City had grasses, flowers, and trees.

Even small ponds and streams were present, but they never expected the Horn Lizard Palace to also house trees.

Since a tree could grow in the palace, that meant a water source was nearby.

A stable water source.

Quickly, they arrived at a massive hall with two burly Horn Lizard Men guarding the entrance.

The guards stood nearly three meters tall.

Their thick tails rested firmly behind them.

Seeing the guard captain, the two entrance guards did not stop them. They merely opened the heavy wooden doors and allowed them inside.

Creak.

The thick wooden doors slowly swung open.

In the hall, it was dimly lit, and at the end of the hall was a giant figure seated upon a throne.

Massive stone pillars stretched toward the ceiling.

The Horn Lizard King was clad in glistening armor, but it did not hide his illustrious scales and bulging muscles.

The space around him was filled with an intimidating presence. His tail coiled around the throne like a living sentinel.

His sharp claws rested calmly upon the throne’s armrests. Despite remaining motionless, he radiated the aura of an apex ruler.

Staring at the humans before him, his serpentine eyes did not blink.

No one could tell what he was thinking.

Without speaking, he raised a hand filled with sharp claws and waved it. Immediately, the guard captain gave a deep bow and retreated without speaking.

The massive hall became completely silent.

Only Riven and his squad remained before the Horn Lizard King.

With the guard captain gone, Riven and his men could feel a suffocating pressure descending upon their backs.

This was the pressure from an apex predator.

It was not intentional hostility. It was simply the natural dominance of an existence standing at the top of the food chain.

All the instincts in their bodies screamed of danger.

Many couldn’t help but forcefully swallow the lumps in their throats and wipe the beads of sweat from their foreheads.

Some unconsciously slowed their breathing.

Others clenched their fists to suppress the trembling in their arms.

Even the usually fearless Elite Squad felt the terrifying difference in strength.

’Who would have thought the Horn Lizard King would be a Level 40 creature?’ Riven exclaimed in his mind.

Even though he was shocked, he took a deep breath to stabilize his trembling heart and cleared his throat, trying to diffuse the suffocating pressure.

"What is the message?" the Horn Lizard King asked in a calm, ancient voice.

Listening to the voice, Riven and his men were once again stunned.

They had expected a cold and indifferent voice, but not this.

Old and calm.

Riven recovered quickly from his shock and straightened his back.

"Your Highness, this is the message from the Grim Reaper."

He spoke respectfully.

Of course, he needed to show his respect.

Before a titan, his little strength meant nothing.

Even though he had just become Level 36 and grown more powerful.

Before a Level 40 creature, it was nothing. The gap between every level beyond thirty became increasingly terrifying.

He could be squashed, along with his squad, as if they were nothing more than ants.

Hmm?

Listening to the message, the Horn Lizard King blinked once.

He had heard the name Grim Reaper once from an intelligence report and never thought too much about it.

At that time, he merely regarded him as another talented human. A human capable of stirring some waves within Mantis Town.

Nothing more.

But now...

That same human had sent an envoy directly into his palace.

"What does he want?"

"The Grim Reaper is going to attack Scorpion City, and he wants Your Highness to stay out of it or join him in taking down the Scorpion Clan."

Riven spoke neither arrogantly nor timidly.

He simply delivered the message exactly as instructed.

"Also, the Grim Reaper wants to take action against some humans in your town and wishes for Your Highness not to interfere," Riven continued calmly.

"Of course, the Grim Reaper is going to compensate you for any destruction to your town during the attack," Riven added.

The words echoed throughout the massive hall.

Listening to Riven, the Horn Lizard King did not show any change in his expression. But inwardly, he was stunned.

A human wanted to attack the Scorpion Clan?

This was the most absurd news he had ever heard since his birth.

****

[AN:

100 Golden Tickets + 2 Chapters.

Message Chair +2 Chapters.

Magic Castle + 5 Chapters.

Golden Gachapoon. + 12 Chapters.

For Magic Castle, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within three days.

Golden Gachapoon, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within ten days. ]