Seeing Todd's gaze, Crofts twitched his beard, took a step back, and kept saying, "No! I won't participate! This is unfair, this duel of honor should be stopped!"

Todd took a few steps forward, looking at the fear and cowardice in the Claw Chieftain's eyes, and loudly mocked, "Chieftain, you are unlike any other North Island people I've ever met! Whether it's those who attacked Twilight Town or these people who bravely faced a powerful enemy to their deaths. I am their enemy, I hate and despise them, but one thing I must admit is that they have the blood of warriors in their veins, and the mark of their ancestors in their souls. In my heart, I also loudly praise their bravery and fearlessness..."

“But you are different! You are like a fox that has infiltrated a pack of wolves!” Todd pointed at the pale-faced old man and angrily denounced him, “You sent the warriors of your tribe to the battlefield, using their lives to satisfy your desires! You accepted the honor duel, yet you cowardly hid behind your people, and when it was your turn to fight for the tribe, you made all sorts of excuses and refused to step forward! You betrayed the trust of your people, you violated the teachings of your ancestors and the gods. In my opinion, you have even tarnished the glorious name of the North Island people!”

The people of the Claw tribe watched their high-ranking chieftain, who was constantly retreating. Whispers began to circulate, and more and more people laid down their weapons.

Todd gave Huggins a look, and the latter and his men, imitating the North Islanders, struck their shields with their longswords and let out a provocative battle cry.

Taking this opportunity, Todd shouted again, "Krofts, come on! Tell me! Will you continue the tradition of our ancestors and continue this duel of honor?! Or will you choose to be a coward and betray the honor of the North Island?!"

With trembling hands, the Claw Chieftain grabbed the warrior beside him, pointed to the "meat grinder" in the center of the square, and roared in terror, "Charge! For the tribe!"

The samurai, seeing the old man who had lost his mind, shoved his hands away with their shoulders, their distrust and contempt written all over their faces.

Crofts stumbled back into the crowd, looking at the tribe's elderly, weak, women, and children. He grabbed a boy of about half a year old, pushed him to the center of the square, and said, "The tribe has given you food and protection. Now it's time for you to fight for the tribe!"

The boy's mother grabbed her son and spat a mouthful of phlegm at Crofts' feet.

Chief Morgan of the Black Skull Clan was stunned by Croft's words and actions, muttering to himself, "Crovt was once a great warrior in his youth. Legend has it he was brave and skilled in battle… Why… has he become like this?!"

"Power is the most corrupting agent of the human soul. Look at him, his fighting spirit has long been worn away, and his greed has made him forget courage." Todd looked at the old chieftain shouting among the tribe and said softly, "The more a person has, the more they fear."

The Claws retreated, and the tribe's warriors threw a sword and a shield in front of Crofts.

The clan leader, pushed into the dueling arena by his clansmen, felt as if he were standing not on an ordinary wooden plank, but on a red-hot iron plate.

Amidst a deafening chorus of boos from the surrounding crowd, Crofts jumped off the plank and turned to flee into the woods deep within the village.

Watching the fleeing figure disappear into the distance, Todd shook his head and raised his hand forward. The soldiers of the Twilight Expeditionary Force raised their crossbows, aiming them at Crofts's back.

"Stop!" (Bei Dao's words)

A clear, melodious female voice echoed from the depths of the woods to the square.

A moment later, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out.

Todd frowned, cursing inwardly, "This isn't a TV drama, why does someone always have to cause trouble at such a crucial moment?!"

He made up his mind and, ignoring the dissuasion from afar, abruptly lowered his arm.

The sound of crossbow strings piercing the air rang out again, and more than a dozen crossbow bolts flew toward Crofts.

Just then, something unexpected happened: the sound of bowstrings twanged like rain from the woods. The arrows, fired later, traced eerie arcs in the air, bypassing the fleeing old man and deflecting the incoming crossbow bolts one by one.

"How is this possible?!"

Todd straightened up, his eyes wide open, and stood there dumbfounded.

Five beautiful and agile female warriors rode out of the forest, wearing armor woven from animal hides and bird feathers, bright and dazzling golden crowns on their heads, and two 15-centimeter-long wings inserted behind their temples.

Morgan quickly approached Todd, crouched down, and whispered, "Those are Valkyries, the spiritual leaders of the North Island people! Legend has it that they are handmaidens chosen by the gods, some even say they are the daughters of the King of Gods. On the battlefield, they are responsible for finding the souls of valiant warriors and guiding them to Valhalla. The North Island people also like to call them Valkyrjas."

Todd rubbed his nose, feeling a headache coming on. This other world was becoming increasingly incomprehensible to him. If the religious history and his previous life could only be described as somewhat similar, then the appearance of the Valkyries made this mysterious connection even more and more perplexing.

Morgan's words became urgent: "Listen to me, my friend! Your troops can never defeat the Valkyries. Not only are they highly skilled in martial arts, capable of taking on a hundred enemies single-handedly, but their lives are also blessed by the gods, and no weapon can strike them!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!