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Though this was their first time speaking directly with him, Niflheim immediately recognized the individual.

It was a young man with short burgundy hair combed neatly to the side and a pair of opaque silver eyes.

NPC Name: War Brigade 3rd Squadron Lieutenant of the 2nd Division River(Elite)

NPC Level: 50

"Were my thoughts that obvious?" Niflheim sighed lightly.

"Well, I can\'t really blame you since everyone who has met our captain holds similar thoughts," River responded as he playfully laughed it off.

He then continued, "You see, our captain\'s a real coward to his core. He\'s the type of man who, if there\'s a chance to run away from a fight, won\'t hesitate to take it."

Niflheim could only helplessly smile in response to River\'s words.

"No matter how hard I try, I can\'t imagine that guy running away from a fight. We\'ve been out of contact for a while due to the communication block in place, but I\'m sure he\'s already made it pretty far into Malentansium by now." Niflheim thought to himself as Izroth\'s entered his mind.

"Ah, don\'t get me wrong. I\'m not really speaking down on the captain or anything. After all, there\'s a reason why the Commander chose our captain to lead the main group. Even if he isn\'t the strongest captain of the 2nd Unit when it comes to fighting ability, if we\'re talking about ensuring one\'s survival, Captain Ward is unrivaled in the 2nd Unit- no, in the entire War Brigade." River stated proudly with a light-hearted smile.

After Niflheim listened to River speak, he observed Ward even closer than before.

Ward was currently in the middle of nervously biting his nails and muttering to himself. In addition, the gloomy atmosphere around him seemed to be growing with every passing moment as the Pzenium warriors were slowly shrinking the encirclement around the main group.

In this situation, where they were outnumbered roughly ten to one, even Niflheim started to become a little restless. If the timing were off by even a handful of seconds, it would not take long for the main group to be completely wiped out!

"River...! River, come quick...!" Ward called over without adverting his gaze from Menkar in the distance, who was still shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Seems that\'s my cue. Take care of yourself, Lieutenant Niflheim." River said as he made his way over to Ward\'s side with hastened steps.

Not long after River took his leave, Bellum approached Niflheim and said, "I must admit, I underestimated the amount of confidence you have in our captain. I can even feel it starting to rub off on those guys as well."

Bellum glanced over at the other members of the 9th Division a few meters away.

The atmosphere around them was somewhat tense; however, everyone still managed to keep their nerves under control, and their heads held high.

"Well, I can\'t say I\'m too surprised. You were always the type of person to take risks that others saw as reckless." Bellum stated as her lips curved into a playful grin.

Niflheim and Menerva had long since disclosed that Izroth was the one behind this plan to Bellum and the rest of the 9th Division members.

However, instead of being dissatisfied or doubtful of what most would consider to be a rather bold plan on its surface, those of the 9th Division were excited.

After the success they achieved in Tempest, the 9th Division\'s trust and confidence in Izroth, as well as Niflheim and Menerva, soared to new levels.

But, more importantly, they started to no longer see each other as just a bunch of strangers who happened to be fighting together. While it was still difficult to go as far as saying they had become close friends, the members of the 9th Division had started to unknowingly accept one another as comrades.

Of course, a part of them was also driven by Izroth\'s promise to reward those who contributed and properly performed their duties.

Though, in truth, what gave them the most reassurance was witnessing Izroth\'s strength firsthand in his fight against Centurion Aloysius.

They could still clearly remember the moment Izroth single-handedly overwhelmed the Centurion to the point that it turned into a one-sided battle.

Ever since that battle, the members of the 9th Division could not help but feel a sense of pride swell up inside of them. Be it inside their minds or hearts, there was one thought or feeling they mutually shared. Their Captain was strong—extraordinarily strong. If this plan came from someone like their Captain, then it had to be something worth doing!

"Coming from you, I\'ll take that as a compliment," Niflheim replied with a light smile.

"So? Any idea who we\'re up against?" Bellum inquired as her gaze locked onto Menkar in the distance.

"Not a clue. But from what I can tell, he\'s clearly a few steps above the Pzenium warriors we\'ve fought so far." Niflheim answered.

All of a sudden, Menkar\'s voice once again carried throughout the battlefield.

"Hear me, o\' warriors of foreign lands! I am Menkar, great warrior of the Sandstorm Walkers from the deserts of Pzenium! I find no joy in having to slaughter those who are greatly outnumbered! However, this place is a battlefield! I will not hesitate to do what must be done! Still, a battle that brings no honor is meaningless; would you not agree?! So, I will give you a different path forward!" Menkar roared as he leaped into the air.

BOOM! Crrrrack!

Menkar landed several meters away from the encirclement and crashed into the ground less than ten meters away from the main group!

This immediately put the 2nd Unit on an even higher alert than they already were as they prepared for the final clash.

But, against their expectations, Menkar did not charge onward to launch an attack.

Bang!

Menkar removed the large two-handed battle axe from his back and let it hit the earth to stand upright as he rested his hands atop its handle.

The great warrior unleashed a heavy wave of killing intent as his battle aura exploded forth. This caused many of those from the main group who were closest to Menkar to instinctively take a step back.

Menkar\'s gaze fell onto Ward, who stood at the head of the main group.

However, after sizing up Ward, Menkar could not help but frown as a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

Based on the insignia carved near the right shoulder plate of Ward\'s armor, Menkar discovered that he was a Captain of the War Brigade. This meant that, while he was probably not the mastermind controlling all the forces they\'ve crossed blades with inside the Nightfall Glades, he should undoubtedly be the leader of this little group who had given them so much trouble.

"This pathetic-looking guy carries the scent of a coward. Hmph, it\'s no wonder he\'s so good at running away." Menkar thought to himself as he glared at Ward, who instantly avoided his gaze.

Despite his obvious disappointment, Menkar continued on and said, "I, Menkar, wish to witness the might of the so-called warriors of the War Brigade and challenge you to the Battle of Rites! Will you accept and die with honor?! Or shall we slaughter you where you stand?!"

Battle of Rites? The majority of the main group had no idea what Menkar was speaking of. Though this was not surprising, considering the Battle of Rites was something that typically only occurred when Pzenium warriors met one another on a battlefield, and both sides wanted to avoid massive bloodshed.

But, for a Pzenium warrior to suggest the Battle of Rites when they clearly held a large advantage—it was completely unheard of.

"Battle of Rites? Is he offering some kind of duel?" Bellum commented.

"That\'s basically the case. However, a Battle of Rites under these circumstances is a bit unconventional." Niflheim said as he attempted to comprehend Menkar\'s goal.

He then continued, "To simplify, it\'s a set of three one on one duels where both sides must send out three warriors to represent them. Whichever side is the first to claim two wins is deemed the victor. More importantly, the winner of the Battle of Rites is also considered to be the victor of the entire conflict. Speaking bluntly, I can\'t see how there\'s anything they stand to gain by making this move."

Needless to say, Menkar\'s actions left Niflheim perplexed. And he was not the only one.