Chi Yang's expression turned serious. "Chieftain Akasha is currently outside, maintaining the perimeter with her elite warriors. She has received... troubling news from her scouts. The insectoid swarm has spread further than we imagined. Several minor tribes of the Emberfall collective have gone silent."
"Silent?" Wu Meiyu frowned. "That usually means annihilation."
"Or they retreated to join the larger tribes," Lin Mo corrected, intentionally avoiding the worst scenario as he recalled the nature of the insectoids he had seen. "Let's go talk to Akasha."
They stepped out of the store. The night sky of the Southern Wilderness was blanketed with brilliant stars, unmarred by city lights, but the horizon to the west flickered with the eerie green glow of distant battles.
The camp of the Blazing Maw Tribe was already like a small district that housed the loyal patrons of the store. Warriors sharpened bone spears, while shamans chanted low blessings over piles of store-bought talismans.
