Thorne held still. In his perception, the scorpion general was only Level 3, the few behind it were Level 2, and the rest of the scorpion soldiers were merely Level 1.
But for them to form such a disciplined scorpion army was somewhat astonishing.
After all, among the magic beasts Thorne had previously hunted, there were some at Mortal Tier Level 3, yet none had displayed such high intelligence.
Thorne decided to observe the scorpions' next move. If he could devour them all at once, these thousands of scorpions could bring him a substantial amount of energy.
After all the scorpion soldiers finished drinking one by one, the scorpion general finally stepped forward. Just as it dipped its head into the lake water, while Thorne was still debating whether to act, a sudden change occurred!
A loud noise came from the distance, even more imposing than the scorpion army's approach.
It was a lizard army!
The leader exuded a clear Level 3 aura.
Moreover, the lizard army moved in an encircling formation, trapping the scorpion army by the lake's edge.
"Could this be a racial showdown?"
If so, Thorne could sit back and reap the benefits.
As the lizard army closed in, the scorpion army fell into brief chaos. The scorpion general, unable to drink, immediately waved its front claw, commanding its troops to prepare for battle.
The lizard army pressed forward relentlessly, forcing the scorpion army to retreat step by step. Many scorpions already had half their bodies in the water.
The two sides seemed on the verge of conflict, but Thorne keenly noticed that neither the scorpion general nor the lizard general showed any intent to fight.
Instead, their normally obedient magic beast troops, suddenly faced with an enemy, showed signs of losing control.
Watching the standoff between the two sides, Thorne had an idea.
"Since neither of you will make a move, let me give you a push."
With a "whoosh," a water arrow shot out from the lake, piercing through two or three scorpion soldiers before dissipating.
The already disadvantaged scorpion army, startled by the sudden attack from behind, immediately fell into disarray, frantically charging out of the lake.
But the lizard army outside had them completely surrounded. This collision sparked a full-blown battle between the two races.
Both the scorpion general and the lizard general were taken aback, frantically issuing commands to regain control, but it was futile.
Now locked in combat, the two sides were driven purely by fighting instincts, no longer heeding their leaders' orders.
To stop their subordinates, the two leaders even resorted to killing a few as an example.
Watching the increasingly frenzied scorpion and lizard armies, Thorne was somewhat surprised.
"It seems these two races have deep-seated enmity."
Glancing at the scorpion general and lizard general, who steadfastly refused to fight, Thorne found the situation intriguing.
"Two races with such deep hatred, yet their leaders seem to be desperately restraining themselves, even afraid to act. Unless…"
Thorne could only think of one reason they wouldn't dare fight: a more powerful entity forbidding further war between them.
"What kind of existence could intimidate two such massive races?"
Thorne felt a sense of urgency.
The anomaly of the lake would eventually be discovered someday, but Thorne didn't want it to be now—he wasn't strong enough yet.
Though his lake body wasn't easy to kill, he knew this world held many powerful magics, some capable of incinerating the heavens or boiling the seas.
The scorpion general and lizard general, seeing the battle spiral out of control, still refrained from fighting each other and instead approached the lake together.
They had both seen it: a water arrow had shot out from the lake, startling the scorpion soldiers and triggering the chaos.
The two beasts carefully inspected the lake's edge but found nothing. The lizard general, in a fit of anger, opened its massive jaws and spat a glob of green venom.
The venom spread rapidly upon hitting the water, and any fish or shrimp it touched immediately floated up, belly-up.
Thorne remained unmoved, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Finally, the scorpion general lost patience. Its tail stinger glowed red and split into dozens of strikes, plunging into the water.
But aside from stirring up splashes, there was still no reaction.
Both beasts were puzzled. They hadn't sensed anything unusual in the lake, and their probing attacks yielded no results.
The scorpion general glanced at the lizard general, signaling it to enter the lake and investigate.
After all, lizards were amphibious, while scorpions were strictly terrestrial.
The lizard general roared angrily at the scorpion general twice before cautiously entering the water and diving to the bottom.
"Perfect chance!"
Thorne acted decisively. Four water ropes formed in the water, their power amplified.
The lizard had no time to resist—water was Thorne's domain. Its four limbs were tightly bound by Thorne, leaving only its tail thrashing weakly.
Thorne manipulated the lake's currents, minimizing the ripples caused by the lizard general's struggles.
Simultaneously, he used Water Arrow. The lizard general, defenseless, was pierced by the arrow and lost its life.
Thorne controlled the water flow to envelop the lizard general, preventing its blood from staining the lake red.
On the shore, the scorpion general grew increasingly uneasy as the lizard general didn't resurface.
Suddenly, it could no longer sense the lizard general's presence. Panic set in, and it turned to flee.
Thorne wouldn't let it escape.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Four water ropes shot out, wrapping the scorpion general like a dumpling from behind and dragging it into the water.
In the water, the scorpion general's combat strength plummeted. Its tail stinger's venom was useless against Thorne's lake body.
Without any surprise, it too fell to a single Water Arrow strike.
Thus, the most powerful scorpion general and lizard general were both hunted by Thorne. On the shore, the raging battle between the two races had already left more than half dead or injured.