The reason why Xia Nan was willing to step into the fight was actually very simple.
On the one hand, and this was the premise of everything.
The enemy's power level was within the range he could easily handle.
A Manticore with a Challenge Rating of 3 would have clearly been a powerful monster that required his full strength and serious treatment a few months ago, before Xia Nan had set out for Barracuda Bay.
Right now, while his mindset remained careful and cautious, accompanied by the soaring of his overall strength and the gradual accumulation of combat experience—if his only pursuit was a simple takedown and making the opponent die, it did not require too much effort with a little tactical planning. A single adult Manticore, plus two youths, even if they were all in peak condition without injuries, the level of danger was entirely within the range Xia Nan could manage.
On the other end, the direct reason that generated his intention to help out.
Was the conspicuous crest engraved on the surface of the soldier's shoulder armor who was suspected to be the squad leader.
A diamond-shaped shield surface with a pure black background, two blood-stained axe blades intersecting diagonally, and the background outline faintly traced the outline of a castle with lighter brownish-red lines.
According to the intelligence Xia Nan had gathered and inquired about in advance before setting off.
A crest of this pattern was precisely the military badge of the army stationed at his destination, the Blood-Cast Fortress.
Thus, it could be judged that this was a squad of soldiers from the frontier Blood-Cast Fortress.
Xia Nan thought that he might be able to inquire about the current situation of the Blood-Cast Fortress from them, such as why there was a sudden conscription, or