The great explosion spread for several kilometers.
Where there were once dunes and a transport ship, now there was only an immense crater of molten glass. The sand had been instantly vitrified by the heat of the antimatter, creating a solid, smoking lake of obsidian color.
In the center of the crater, something glowed faintly.
The Golden Scorpion's armor lay twisted, blackened, and empty, like a crushed can. The flesh inside was burnt and consumed, but the metal had withstood the existential erasure, albeit barely.
The Monolith remained impassive in the face of the explosion. The golden vortex expanded again, proving that it still had much to give.
Five silhouettes descended.
They landed on the hot glass softly. They were five Golden Scorpions, similar to the one that had just fallen, but their auras were fresh and vibrant.
The leader of the group, one with red markings on his golden pectoral, approached the remains of the armor. He touched it with the tip of his trident and let out a dry laugh.
"Pathetic," he said.
"He played with his food," another replied, walking around the crater. "He got overconfident against an inferior species and paid the price. What a waste of essence."
"He didn't even die in single combat," added a third, kicking the fallen one's helmet, which rolled across the glass making a hollow sound. "He does not deserve to return to the Flow of Sand."
The leader looked toward the horizon, as if he could see what lay in the distance: the Empire of Vorakh.
"Khaz-Mir is pleased with the performance of the new Ash Walker. He wants us to investigate this continent further," declared the leader. "He believes they might put up a good fight."
He raised his spear toward Vorakh.
"Forward."
Behind them, the vortex expanded until it covered the sky, hiding the sun.
It wasn't just White Scorpions. Among them, titanic scarabs the size of hills began to emerge, shaking the earth with their colossal legs. Clouds of desert locusts, bloated and ravenous, clouded the air, screeching with insatiable hunger.
"Let's go," ordered the leader, turning his back on his comrade's remains without a shred of respect. "Let the conquest begin. Leave nothing alive."
The five Golden Scorpions advanced, guiding their hosts toward Vorakh.
END OF BOOK 0: VORAKH
Thank you for reading Book 0: Prologue of this story. I truly appreciate your support and, above all, I hope you enjoyed it.
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