A few moments later, two groups of roughly ten individuals charged out of the forest. One of the groups was under Halls' command, while the other received orders from Guan Yu.

Since it was a matter of urgency, Halls and Guan Yu hurried over immediately with those who had decent mobility.

​​

"How is someone like him a Lieutenant of the War Brigade?" Guan Yu scoffed.

"Forget about him, brother. Guys like that aren't worth batting an eye over. Let's focus on taking care of these Ogres first. I'll handle the one on the left while you support the squad on the right. As for Ikaris—I don't think we'll have to worry about him." Halls said with a grin as he moved off to assist with the Ogre Protector.

When Broken Karp saw the new wave of reinforcements exit from the forest, he felt a sense of relief. In this event, one had a limited number of lives depending on their rank; therefore, each life was precious. After all, the longer one participated in the event, the better their chances of obtaining rewards.

Unlike those elite or core players in guilds, people like Broken Karp and many like him were not paid a salary of any kind. They depended heavily on important events and countless hours of farming to make a somewhat reasonable living or even as an extra income source.

After seeing that Ikaris was not making an effort, he secretly sent a message to one of the players he knew at the nearby outpost asking for reinforcements.

Unfortunately, the person he messaged was only a 10-Man Squad Leader, and it was not as if they could dismiss their assigned responsibilities. In the end, even though that player said they would try asking their Lieutenant for help, Broken Karp did not hold any high expectations. In the back of his mind, he had already accepted that he would lose one of his lives. So, to see that not one but two Lieutenants came to assist them, Broken Karp was filled with gratitude.

Ikaris, on the other hand, looked mildly annoyed by the sudden appearance of Halls and Guan Yu.

"Young lord, two Lieutenants from your Division have arrived as reinforcements. Should we provide assistance?" One of the men standing guard near Ikaris informed.

"Your purpose is to serve and protect me—that's all. This entire conflict is beneath someone of the Juhstiss family. What would the other guys think of me back home if they knew I spent all day hanging around some commoners? I don't know why my father insisted I serve on the frontlines. Tch, doesn't that old man care about his son's well-being? He should have at least made it so that I was given the rank of General. Well, whatever. Let those two commoners make themselves useful and settle it." Ikaris said mockingly.

"But young lord, what about Captain-" The guard tried to protest; however, he was silenced with a glare from Ikaris.

"What about the Captain? Do you think that commoner Captain is foolish enough to go against me? Hmph, if he doesn't know his place, then I'll make sure he learns it." Ikaris smirked.

"Oh? That's an interesting conversation you're having there. Tell me, who is it that's going to make your Captain learn their place?" A voice sounded from somewhere behind Ikaris.

"Who-!" Ikaris turned around to see who dared listen in on him speaking without his permission. However, just before he could turn, Ikaris felt something scorching hot shoot right over his head!

Neither Ikaris nor his guards had time to react as a giant hand made of flames emerged from a fireball that was initially the size of a fist. This hand of flames sped at the barrier in the distance that shielded the Ogre magic casters and crashed into it with a great destructive force!

Crack! BOOOOOM!

The sound of a loud explosion followed by an intense wave of heat flooded the battlefield as the barrier shattered under the force of the flames. However, it did not stop there as the hand of flames continued onward and engulfed the Ogre magic casters in a sea of fire. In turn, this interrupted the spells being channeled by the Ogre magic casters and caused the buffs on the Ogre Protectors to deactivate. In the blink of an eye, the mighty Ogre Protectors returned to their status as regular elite monsters!

Ikaris felt cold sweats run down his back. If that flame had been just a few millimeters lower, he would have been incinerated! At first, he was fearful; however, that fear swiftly shifted to anger.

"You fool! Do you have any idea who you just almost hit?! What's your name?! I'll be sure to write a full report and get you kicked out of the War Brigade! Guards, apprehend this-" Ikaris shouted as he sprung to his feet to confront the recent arrival. But, Ikaris quickly halted his words as his heart sunk and an expression of fear returned to his face.

"You want to apprehend me? You can try. That is—if you have the strength to do so."

NPC Name: War Brigade 5th Unit Commander of the 21st Legion Lances Pride, The Hand of Flames(???)

NPC Level: ???

NPC HP: ???(100%)

The one who arrived before Ikaris was Lances, a member of the Pride Clan that Izroth met during his participation in the second team's selection.

While Lances appearance had not changed much, there was something different about him. The aura that encompassed him held a higher quality of refinement than the one he possessed back at the Sky Palace.

Although it had only been a little more than ten days since Lances participated in the second team's selection, it roughly added up to a whole month when taking into account the 1:3 time ratio.

Lances had not grown complacent after obtaining his spot on the second team. With a glance, one could tell that he did not spend his time idling about since the selection ended.

Ikaris was frightened to his core. Lances was not just some commoner Commander but a member of the Pride Clan!

The Pride Clan was a well-known powerhouse that gave birth to several legendary realm figures every generation. While they were not officially affiliated with any kingdom, they resided within Amaharpe's territory and were on friendly terms with its ruler. It was to the point that the ruler of Amaharpe would have to show respect to the head of the Pride Clan!

Lances was the grandson of the current Pride Clan head and revered as a generational talent. A minor noble family like Juhstiss was not enough to enter his sights, let alone threaten him!

"I wouldn't dare! C-Command- No, sir Lances, what are you doing h-" Ikaris was promptly cut off mid-sentence.

"I was on my way back to the outpost when I ran into the Lieutenants from your Division. Naturally, after I heard those under my command were in trouble, how could I ignore them? That's why you can understand my surprise seeing you sitting here in such a lighthearted manner, Lieutenant Ikaris. Would you care to explain yourself?" Lances' voice sounded distant as he stared down at Ikaris.

"I... I..." Ikaris tried to respond; however, an unbearable pressure descended upon him that made it difficult to speak. Even Ikaris' personal guards were rendered silent by the pressure Lances purposefully emitted.

"Well? Do you not have a valid excuse? Speak." Lances interrogated, but again, he received no response as he increased the pressure on Ikaris.

Ikaris' face turned pale as he began to sweat profusely. He found that every time he tried to speak, the pressure would merely increase. In other words, Lances may have been asking him a question, but he did not want him to answer. In Lances' eyes, the answer had already been decided!

"Then, since you have no excuse, you are hereby stripped of your rank. In addition, you will receive a dishonor mark. You have brought shame and embarrassment to your Juhstiss family, Ikaris." Lances stated as he released the pressure around Ikaris.

Ikaris' face became one of dread at the mention of a dishonor mark. Doomed—this was the first thought that entered into Ikaris' mind.

The dishonor mark was something unique to Amaharpe, and it varied depending on the person who received it. But, one thing was for certain—the outcome was always disastrous.