"Hey, I say, Rose..."

In a certain part of the desert, Rose's partner — that young woman with heavy makeup — was complaining somewhat disdainfully, "Is this really necessary?

We are actually going to use the 'Vanguard Strategy'? Isn't this like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

The morning light spilled over her body; she was a woman whose makeup and attire were somewhat vulgar. But her figure was shockingly simple and crude, not seeking balance, only highlighting an "exaggerated curve"!

Her face was now full of dissatisfaction: "I have no objection to acting ahead of time, but still, as I said..." the woman shouted, "There's simply no need to use the 'Vanguard'!"

In her view, the adversary was just the third lady of a Commerce Association without a knight by her side to protect her.

Oh, and that guy who killed the already crippled former Grand Mage Humboldt, right... But that's beside the point!

The woman thought to herself that if they joined forces, leveraging the momentum of the Desolate Beast Sand Tide, they could simply crush them, right?

Now they are resorting to this 'Vanguard Strategy.'

This tactic... is certainly strong.

But while it disgusts the opponent extremely, it also somewhat disgusts oneself.

However, the young mage-like Rose remained silent as if he hadn't heard her complaint, focusing intently on driving the Desolate Beast. Meanwhile, he was observing through the eyes of the Desolate Beast he was controlling.

There was a dark red fire flickering in Rose's eyes, his lips moving slightly, but he did not make any sound. Or rather, no sound that humans could hear. At this moment, his words could only be heard by the Desolate Beast!

"Hey, did you hear me?"

The woman took a step forward, even more displeased. However, she suddenly closed her mouth because she saw the expression on Rose's profile, her heart suddenly freezing, followed by a slight chill, "What's going on? That expression! It's a personal vendetta, not a mission expression, isn't it?!"

What she didn't know was that Andrew had twice neutralized Rose's sand lizard scouts using methods and techniques that Rose had not yet comprehended, and from that moment, in Rose's mind, this was no longer a simple, straightforward mission.

Of course, this wasn't the main reason why Rose insisted on implementing the 'Vanguard Strategy.'

The real reason was that Rose simply enjoyed disgusting people.

At the same time, Andrew had already reunited with Ivan.

Through Water Spirit Sensing and with the naked eye, Andrew had already seen the intruder's shape from afar.

It was a very "standard" Desolate Beast: a giant lizard-like form, in terms of size, slightly larger than Xiao Ha.

Its entire body was covered with dark red hard scales, and in terms of body defense, it was definitely as strong if not stronger than Flame Warriors like Raymond and Sally. It also lacked the weakness in soul defense that Flame Warriors had.

The only weakness of the Desolate Beasts lay in a colorless scale on the back of their neck.

When Desert Hunters hunted Desolate Beasts, their goal was to stab a short knife into that colorless scale, which would instantly kill even the strongest of Desolate Beasts.

"Is this a Desolate Beast?"

It was Andrew's first time seeing a Desolate Beast from the Flame Realm with his own eyes.

Through "Water Spirit Sensing," he could feel the strong and chaotic aura emanating from the Desolate Beast's body, an extremely violent flame aura!

This made Andrew frown slightly, "This aura of the Desolate Beast, how come..."

For a moment, he couldn't afford to delve deeper.

Because as he saw the invading Desolate Beast, Andrew also saw a figure being chased in front of the Desolate Beast!

It's Zi!!

Originally agreed with Andrew to return to Baal Town once more and then bring a group of patients to Wildfire Town, Zi was now being driven by that Desolate Beast!

Ivan also saw this scene, his face changing suddenly, with anger and hostility flashing in his eyes.

Andrew, however, frowned slightly, then understood something: "Is this how it's going to be?" He sneered, "All right, bring it on, then!"

He accelerated underfoot and took the initiative to meet them.

The eastern sun at this moment jumped entirely out of the horizon.

The morning light shone on Zi's face and body.

She was gasping violently, each breath making her entire body ache, but she gritted her teeth and ran with all her might.

Because she was not just alone, she was holding a frail little boy in her arms. The boy was the most critical patient from the Living People Cemetery in Baal Town, whom Zi intended to first take to Wildfire Town for Andrew's treatment but was attacked by a horde of Desolate Beasts on the way!

"Why? Why are Desolate Beasts moving in packs, like an organized army?!"

Zi couldn't comprehend it at all!

She, like Ivan, was also a capable Desert Hunter.

But, firstly, she was unprepared for the sudden incident. Secondly, the organized attack of the Desolate Beasts bewildered her, used to the normal disorderly behavior of Desolate Beasts! Thirdly, she wasn't alone, she had a sick child with her.

This resulted in her fighting with all her might to break out of the encirclement, but she suffered extremely severe injuries!

"I don't know if I can survive, but at least... I must safely deliver this child to Wildfire Town, to Mage Andrew!"

This was Zi's only obsession at this moment. In fact, her vision was already a bit blurred, stubbornly holding onto a breath, continuing to move legs that should have long been unable to move.

Within her sight, she suddenly saw a very fast figure coming toward her.

"That speed... is it Ivan?" Zi's spirits lifted, "Great, salvation is here!"

She did a side roll, dodging another pounce from the Desolate Beast behind her.

Zi gritted her teeth and accelerated towards that "Ivan," but as she looked more closely, she realized that the figure wasn't Ivan at all; it was... Andrew!

At that moment, Zi was noticeably stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but shout angrily, "What are you doing here?! Run! Don't you think I'm burdened enough?!"

She had heard from An Ya about Andrew's heroic feat of killing Humboldt with his own hands.

I've personally experienced the miraculous nature of Andrew's Healing Magic.

But... now, we're facing a Desolate Beast.

Desolate Beast!

Fire Mages who excel in control-type Magic can somewhat restrain Desolate Beasts, but the prerequisite is maintaining safety, maintaining a safe distance! Maintain a safe distance!! Important matters must be stated thrice, because without this prerequisite, it's just courting disaster.

Zi Xin said, you're so recklessly rushing over, how am I supposed to protect you while distracted?

The only thing that slightly surprised her was Andrew's speed of action. Otherwise, she wouldn't have mistaken Andrew for Ivan earlier.

Roar!

The Desolate Beast behind them roared furiously again.

Fury is something emanating from every Desolate Beast. It seems like from the inside out, each Desolate Beast is engulfed in the flames of rage!

Zi didn't need to look back to know that the next strike was something she probably couldn't dodge.

So she made the most correct and calm decision at the moment: with all her might, she threw the already unconscious little boy in her arms towards Andrew!

She shouted, "Run with the child!!"

She was thinking: With that speed, which doesn't quite seem like something a Mage would possess, he should be able to escape with the child.

But after throwing the child, her body came to a stop, and she turned around.

Facing the Desolate Beast that had been chasing her all the way!

"Damn it, come on, didn't you chase me all the way?"

The gentle and polite face of Zi, now full of fury.

Having been chased all the way, she had a bellyful of anger and was now putting life and death aside.

She thought that even if not for buying time for Andrew to run with the child, she would still want to drag this big monster down with her!

You can't just chase people like this all the way!!

You're disregarding the pride of Desert Hunters! Bastard!

Roar!

The Desolate Beast roared, opened its bloodthirsty maw, and lunged down.

Zi stopped speaking, clenched her teeth.

Holding a broken short dagger, she was about to unleash the final, most sacred, and most beautiful brilliance of her life—

"Oh my, Ivan and I are both here, Aunt Zi, why are you still risking it?" Andrew's voice sounded beside Zi without warning, "Uh, Ivan, go easy, if possible I'd like to capture one alive, ah— I told you to go easy!"

Zi just saw the head of the Desolate Beast rapidly enlarging in her view, and then suddenly fall off from its neck.

Ivan, clad in the unseen chest armor of the Deep Blue Armament Series, appeared silently on the back of the Desolate Beast, slicing through the transparent scales at the back of its neck, and with a fierce exertion, directly severed the head of this formidable Desolate Beast!

Thump, the huge head of the Desolate Beast fell heavily onto the sand right in front of Zi.

Zi: "..."

She had already entered a state of self-sacrificing readiness, and suddenly being interrupted like this... well, though being rescued was obviously good, it felt a bit odd, like suddenly transitioning from a nightmare into a dream, the change too abrupt, making it all feel a bit surreal.

So... saved?

Sometimes people are like that. Suddenly returning from hell to the human world, instead, there's a feeling of disbelief that they truly have come back to the living world!

"Ivan, could you not be a bit gentler?" Andrew said with a bit of regret, "It could've been captured alive."

Before Ivan could respond, Zi couldn't help but retort: "Capturing a Desolate Beast alive? Are you kidding me? Kid, do you know what kind of existence a Desolate Beast is? If it could be captured alive, it wouldn't be called a Desolate Beast!" She believed that Ivan, being a fellow Desert Hunter, would think and respond the same way to Andrew.

Yet Ivan merely smiled slightly: "Sorry."

Zi: "??"

What's going on? What's going on here?

Zi hadn't originally thought that anything about Andrew was odd, except for his speed, which indeed seemed absurdly fast compared to a typical Mage.

Her mind was still full of Ivan's clean and extremely sharp strike just now! Zi was well aware: that wasn't the Ivan from her memory, in her impression, their strength! So after being saved, she was more shocked by the strength Ivan showed.

Now she began to slowly notice something amiss: How did Ivan… seem to have become subordinated to this Andrew?!

The alarm in the direction of Wildfire Town subsided.

If it weren't for the Desolate Beast corpse before her, the alarms from not long ago seemed like an illusion.

"The child's fine."

Andrew placed the little boy back into Zi's hands.

The taut string in Zi's heart relaxed, and she felt an overwhelming urge to just faint, but she still mustered the energy, frowning as she looked at Andrew.

She then saw Andrew briskly walk over to the massive head of the Desolate Beast on the sand. Raising one finger, he touched it on the eyes of the already dead yet seemingly still slightly gleaming Desolate Beast. And through those eyes, Andrew seemed to be greeting someone.

He said: "Desert Speaker Rose, is it? Greetings!"

As soon as the words fell, Andrew's entire body shook.

What Zi didn't know, was that in another part of the desert, where Rose and his flamboyant partner were located, Rose also quivered violently! With a cold grunt, Rose immediately severed his connection with the Desolate Beast, his face reflecting surprise, shock, and an unusual anger!

Over here, Andrew, after finishing his greeting, withdrew his finger.

Standing up, he called over to Ivan and Zi, who was holding the little boy, saying: "Alright, let's head back to town first!"

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