By sheer coincidence, Alexander noticed the caravan guard leader's attempt to flee.
"Hey, trying to run away?"
He spurred his horse, veering off the main battlefield to chase the caravan guard leader.
The guard leader glanced back and saw Alexander already close behind him.
"Robbing is one thing, but there's no need to kill me!" the guard leader shouted desperately.
He had seen his men get routed by a single cavalry charge, the disparity in strength was overwhelming, leaving no chance for a prolonged fight.
"I don't intend to kill you, I just want to poke you with my lance," Alexander called out from behind.
"Damn you, if you have the guts, dismount and duel me!" The guard leader was enraged by Alexander's casual threat. Getting speared during a high-speed charge would be devastating if not fatal.
Suddenly, there was no sound behind him. The guard leader, surprised, glanced back again and saw Alexander had actually stopped and dismounted.
The guard leader felt a surge of joy. He couldn't believe his luck. This fool was actually willing to duel him. Wouldn't it be better to escape now?
Hailing from the Empire, the caravan guard leader naturally didn't intend to keep his promise. Like many of his compatriots, he was cunning and calculating.
But then a thought struck him—he was still on horseback. If he turned and charged back suddenly, the other guy wouldn't have time to mount up, right? This could be his chance to turn the tables.
He immediately turned his horse around, starting with small steps to approach Alexander and assess the situation. When he was close enough, he pretended to dismount, then abruptly spurred his horse.
"Yee—"
The horse neighed, iron hooves pounding the ground, covering tens of meters in the blink of an eye.
The guard leader drew his saber, imagining Alexander's head separated from his body.
What was Alexander doing at this moment?
He neither fled nor hastily mounted his horse. Instead, he calmly drew his tempered two-handed sword, holding it upright before his chest.
Then he slightly bent his knees, assuming the standard pre-duel stance of a knight.
Is this guy insane?
That was the first thought that crossed the caravan guard leader's mind. Facing an incoming cavalry charge head-on—this was sheer madness, wasn't it?
Since you want to die, don't blame me for not showing mercy!
The guard leader raised his saber fiercely, the killing intent coalescing on the blade like the scythe of the Grim Reaper. His eyes became even more ruthless. As a mercenary, he was no stranger to blood and slaughter. Today, he could only blame the fool in front of him for being too naive, thinking he would engage in a fair duel. Did he think everyone was as single-minded as a Saint Martin knight?
However, his thoughts were about to change drastically in the next moment.
Just as his saber was about to come down, Alexander finally moved.
He moved like a raging tiger, swift and unstoppable!
"Ha!"
With a shout, his muscles bulged beneath his armor, and the ornate patterns on his knightly attire seemed to glow, as if imbued with boundless strength.
Alexander's current attributes were:
- **Level**: 8
- **Strength**: 12
- **Agility**: 10
- **Intelligence**: 6
- **Charisma**: 9
- **Available Attribute Points**: 0
- **Experience**: 1600/12800
- **System Coins**: 0
His clearly defined 12 points of strength were not just for show. Coupled with the additional 5 points of strength from his ornate knight's suit, Alexander's theoretical strength now reached 17 points.
This amount of strength was roughly equivalent to that of two average adult men combined. Swinging his two-handed sword with such immense power, the blade moved with lightning speed.
The gleaming blade, reflecting sunlight, seemed to carve a crescent-shaped arc in the air. Blood spattered, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air filled the atmosphere.
In that moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Whether it was the bandits fleeing in panic, the caravan guards being routed, or Alexander's own men courageously fighting—all ceased their actions, stunned by the sight before them.
Alexander panted heavily. He had never delivered such a powerful strike before, as if he was draining every last bit of his strength. His adrenaline had surged in that moment, resulting in Alexander's most powerful slash.
To the onlookers, Alexander's not particularly tall figure appeared godlike.
At his feet lay a pool of blood, half a horse's carcass, and the bisected body of the caravan guard leader.
The caravan guard leader, now severed at the waist, lay on the ground, not yet dead. Blood gushed from his mouth, and his eyes, filled with terror and despair, fixed on Alexander. With his dying breath, he muttered two indistinct words: "Monster... monster!"
The remaining caravan guards collectively dropped their weapons. Their psychological defenses had been utterly shattered. How could such a monstrous being exist in this world, capable of cleaving both man and horse in half, while standing still without the momentum of a cavalry charge?
The thought that they were up against such a monster made the guards shiver uncontrollably, their morale completely broken.
"Boss is invincible!"
"By the Light God, you have finally bestowed upon the world a true savior."
"Who dares challenge us now? Come, single combat with our boss if you dare!"
"I'm done for, I want to marry the boss, so cool... Ah, who kicked me?"
In that moment, Alexander's men erupted in deafening cheers. To the veteran soldiers, Alexander seemed even taller and mightier, the very embodiment of invincibility. As for the newly recruited soldiers, their eyes shone with admiration—this was the man they were following, an unstoppable force.
The last soldier shouting nonsense was promptly kicked off his horse by Victor.
"Everyone, clean up the battlefield," Alexander ordered coldly as he sheathed his sword. Inwardly, he was overjoyed. This performance had been top-notch, and the feeling of cutting down an enemy leader was exhilarating. He now understood why ancient generals loved single combat before battle—it wasn't about the outcome but about showing everyone who the real leader was.
[Congratulations to Lord Alexander for successfully completing the mission.]
[Experience +1000]
[System Coins +1000]
After the battle, Alexander's gains were substantial. His system panel now showed:
- **Level**: 8
- **Strength**: 12
- **Agility**: 10
- **Intelligence**: 6
- **Charisma**: 9
- **Available Attribute Points**: 0
- **Experience**: 3000/12800
- **System Coins**: 1000
However, the greatest reward wasn't the experience or the system coins—it was the nearly 10,000 worth of goods they had captured.