With his dignity thoroughly trampled, King Hades wished he could slay the descendants of these pirates himself. Entrusting such an important task to Alexander was a testament to the king's recognition of his abilities.
Alexander, oblivious to the underlying significance, only knew that the system had also issued a task simultaneously:
[Complete King Hades' Task—Annihilate the Snow Bear Knights]
[Reward: Experience +5000, System Coins +5000]
[Defeat the Snow Bear Knights to improve rankings and receive corresponding rewards]
[Current Redemption Knights rank: 497, Snow Bear Knights rank: 422]
Whether he liked it or not, Alexander had to deal with the Snow Bear Knights. He was desperate for money—King Hades didn't provide soldiers' salaries, leaving Alexander to foot the bill every week. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he ran out of money.
So, upon receiving the task, Alexander geared up and immediately led his troops out of the city, brimming with determination, to the border of the two nations.
The battle there raged on, with Marshal Hoover and the Veed Kingdom locked in a fierce struggle. Various knightly orders and mercenary groups clashed, employing all means to wreak havoc on the enemy.
Meanwhile, the Snow Bear Knights were celebrating a major victory at a border castle. After reporting the outcome of the battle to the King of Veed, they were generously rewarded with a war hammer emblazoned with the Veed Kingdom's emblem and countless riches.
The emblem of the Veed Kingdom was the ancestral helmet of the war god, radiating an overwhelming sense of power. It was a symbol of honor, and the warriors of Veed took pride in possessing weapons adorned with the kingdom's insignia.
The Snow Bear Knights' leader was no exception; he couldn't wait to hang the war hammer around his neck. Perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol, but he was filled with a sense of urgency to crush a few heads of the lowly dogs of Saint Martin.
Driven by this fervor, he led his entire knightly order out of the castle like a pack of rabid dogs, charging towards the border of the two nations.
As the gears of fate continued to turn, the Snow Bear Knights encountered a knightly order from the Kingdom of Saint Martin as soon as they reached the border—an unknown group.
Their banner bore the image of a crow pierced by arrows, a flag that exuded an aura of misfortune. Lacking in dominance and grandeur, it was clearly the emblem of a short-lived, minor knightly order.
"Hmph, now anyone can establish a knightly order," sneered the Snow Bear Knights' leader without any restraint.
On the other side, Alexander looked at their banner in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes and glanced again at the parchment in his hand, which depicted the flag of the Snow Bear Knights—a roaring bear's head. Then, as he raised his head, he noticed the group of men yelling and charging towards them.
Alexander excitedly lifted his lance, shouting, "It's them! Brothers, leave none alive, cut them down!"
"I will pursue this path!"
"Until the end!"
The declaration exclusive to the Redemption Knights echoed once more. The Snow Bear Knights were unaware that this declaration would be the last thing they heard.
Alexander's troops were now fully equipped. While many new soldiers had joined, the veteran's equipment had been significantly upgraded. The entire unit's combat effectiveness had increased rather than decreased.
Led by Alexander, the cavalry of the Redemption Knights formed a spearhead formation. The heavy hoofbeats of their horses resonated, kicking up dust from the ground. The gleaming lances emitted a chilling light, whispering the death knell.
As this cavalry charged towards the Snow Bear Knights with an air of invincibility, their leader finally realized the gravity of the situation. He had led a cavalry unit composed entirely of infantry, straight into a clash with a cavalry force.
But now it was too late to turn back; he could only draw out his throwing axes and hurl them towards the enemy, attempting to kill as many opponents as possible.
However, Alexander had prepared countermeasures. His troops were no longer limited to close combat.
"Give them a taste of our strength!" Alexander commanded. As the charging cavalry advanced, each one drew heavy javelins from their backs. Gripping the weighty weapons in their hands, these seasoned warriors fiercely hurled the heavy javelins.
Propelled by the speed of the cavalry, the heavy javelins flew with such velocity that they left blurred trails invisible to the naked eye. In an instant, the Snow Bear Knights were thrown into chaos.
But it didn't end there. Alexander's cavalry had already reached them.
The towering warhorses seemed to dominate the entire field of vision, and their presence was swallowed by darkness in an instant.
Before many of the Vidian warriors could react, they were either impaled by lances or sent flying.
The leader of the Snow Bear Knights gripped his warhammer, using his roar to suppress his fear. He saw the enemy leader charging towards him at the forefront of his troops.
Perhaps... this was his only chance to achieve victory, as long as he could eliminate the enemy leader.
He leaped into the air, unleashing what would be the most powerful blow of his life. The strength in his arms poured into the handle of his warhammer, even causing the long handle to bend.
It was the pinnacle strike of the Snow Bear Knights' leader, brimming with the glory and indomitable will of the Vidian people.
Even in a hopeless situation, he was determined to carve out a path with blood.
"Swish~"
A flash of the sword, and the head of the Snow Bear Knights' leader flew into the air, along with his cherished warhammer.
Alexander felt nothing; it was as if he had killed a mere foot soldier. He had already discarded his lance; in close combat like this, a greatsword was much quicker.
Wherever his warhorse passed, it left behind a trail of blood.
The swinging speed of the decapitating greatsword was not like that of a two-handed sword. With a 20% attack speed boost, the area around Alexander seemed to form a circle of death, unstoppable by anyone.
[Congratulations to Lord Alexander for achieving the achievement—"God of Slaughter on the Battlefield"]
[Conditions Met: Killing ten enemies in a single battle]
[Reward: Aura of Killing Intent]
[Weak-minded individuals seeing you will trigger deep-seated fear]
A faint red light emanated from Alexander's body, then dissipated into the air.
Following this, there was a slight change in Alexander's demeanor. He now exuded an aura of solemn killing intent, making him appear more like a leader.
But on the battlefield, no one paid attention to this subtle change. The most primal desire to kill had been aroused, and everyone's mind was focused on one thing—killing the enemy.
This included the Snow Bear Knights, who were not destroyed but instead fought harder under the stimulation of alcohol and their leader's death, until... only one person remained standing.