Volgograd (24)

The five Screaming Snake Knights circled through the air before quickly locking onto the bloodstained area below.

They guided their Screaming Snakes into a slow descent, landing at the sites where the three missing knights had died within a few breaths.

"What happened here?" One of them frowned as he looked at the remains and scattered arrow fragments on the ground.

"They were definitely attacked." Another crouched down, picked up a bloodstained piece of snake skin, and narrowed his eyes coldly. "Look, their skins were stripped."

The air reeked of Screaming Snakes and blood, a rotten stench tinged with magic that made them increasingly wary.

After confirming there were no further clues, they exchanged glances, mounted their Screaming Snakes again, and took to the air to search the surrounding area for traces of possible enemies.

At the edge of a distant thicket, Ang and Dana lay hidden among the grass and shrubs, silently watching.

"Ang, they flew away. Should we follow them?" Dana asked quietly.

"No rush." Ang's gaze sharpened, his voice calm yet meaningful. "They'll come back on their own soon enough."

With that, he led Dana quietly to a spot in the center of the thicket with a clear field of view, then crouched down.

While vigilantly watching their surroundings, Dana asked in a low, puzzled voice, "Hiding here? Isn't that a bad idea? They'll spot this place at a glance."

"We want them to spot us." Ang quietly replied, taking out a piece of Screaming Snake hide still stained with blood. "If they keep flying in the sky, we won't be able to clean them all up in one go. But once they land and enter the trap we set... they're finished."

As he spoke, he handed the hide to Dana, and the two began smearing its