Chapter 29: Ice Hail Pearl

Boom!

Despite their small numbers, the seven knights fought as one, unleashing an overwhelming momentum and unparalleled offensive power.

Wielding its massive ice-sculpted spiked club, the Great Snow Demon attempted to meet the squad’s charge head-on. But at that moment, Eric’s focus sharpened to an extraordinary degree. Guiding the resonance of the squad’s martial arts energy, he pushed his already surging energy to its limits, channeling the force into his blade.

Boom!

With a single thrust, a piercing aura of Martial Arts Energy sword extended five or six meters, precisely hitting the Great Snow Demon’s neck.

Crack!

Even with its immense resilience, the Great Snow Demon’s neck was severed by the strike, which surpassed the peak of a Great Knight’s power.

Its head spun into the air, flying high and far.

The beheaded body remained upright, its massive club still following the original arc of its swing. But the force behind it had waned to a feeble, sluggish blow that met Eric’s unyielding sword without causing him the slightest trouble.

Meanwhile, the remaining snow demons surged forward, their relentless assault creating chaos for the knight’s party. Eric’s earlier attack had drained the resonance-fueled energy, leaving the group momentarily sluggish. In that opening, the snow demons struck, killing one of the warhorses.

Crash!

Caught off guard, Charles and his mount tumbled to the ground.

Two snow demons, their ice-sculpted blades gleaming coldly, lunged toward Charles, aiming for his exposed limbs. Just as the blades were about to connect, a silver-gray sword sliced through the air with tremendous force, deflecting both weapons.

It was Russell’s timely intervention that saved Charles.

“Thank you, my lord!” Charles, drenched in cold sweat, shouted his gratitude.

“Keep moving!” Russell commanded, his face impassive, though his mind was still reeling from Eric’s earlier attack.

That devastating strike, a perfect blend of strength and elegance, had left an indelible impression on Russell. The sheer power of martial arts energy, combined with the beauty of the sword’s aura, stirred something primal in him.

“Got him!” John, one of the armored knights, leaned down and offered Charles a hand.

Grabbing it, Charles used the momentum to vault onto John’s horse, rejoining the formation as they broke free from the snow demon encirclement.

Once clear, Charles dismounted, allowing Eric to reorganize the group. Though their numbers were now six, the charging formation remained intact. After catching their breath, they turned once more to face the approaching snow demons.

The Great Snow Demon’s beheaded body, still standing, flailed its massive spiked club wildly in all directions. Its uncoordinated movements were chaotic, but without any real threat.

“Charge!”

Russell shook off his awe, focusing on the task at hand. Following Eric’s lead, the group once again cut through the snow demon horde. The martial arts energy coursing through his meridians burned hot, though its reserves were steadily depleting.

“Can you continue, my lord?” Eric asked, glancing back during a brief pause.

Russell gritted his teeth. “I can!”

Hearing this, Eric raised his Knight Commander sword high and roared once more, “Charge!”

Nearby, Chris, seated atop his Nightmare Ghost Horse, observed the battle with an amused smile. He made no move to help, merely shadowing the group’s movements.

However, as the headless Great Snow Demon continued its aimless thrashing, Chris finally acted. Urging his mount forward, he approached the monster’s flailing body.

Clang!

Chris drew his sword. His movements were so swift that they were almost imperceptible. Two crescent-shaped sword auras shot out, severing the Great Snow Demon’s arms.

Without pause, Chris rotated his blade, unleashing two more crescent slashes that sliced through the demon’s legs.

With a heavy thud, the Great Snow Demon’s body collapsed to the ground.

Even so, its severed limbs continued to twitch and move as though still animated. In the distance, its head lay half-submerged in mud and snow, its mouth opening and closing in silence, unable to produce a sound without its vocal cords.

“Sigh, dying once and dying again… these cursed snow demons, tormenting humans like this.” Chris sighed softly as he stroked the neck of his Nightmare Ghost Horse, their minds in perfect sync.

At once, the Nightmare Ghost Horse raised its front hooves high and then stomped down heavily, smashing the Great Snow Demon’s head into pieces.

In an instant, the Great Snow Demon’s limbs and body seemed to lose all strength and became completely still.

It was as if time, which had been frozen, began to move again. The headless corpse of the Great Snow Demon, along with its decaying body and limbs, visibly rotted, turning into a foul-smelling pile of powder.

Chris waved his hand to dispel the foul odor and drew his sword. He carefully retrieved a small, snow-white bead of ice, about the size of a marble, from the muddy water where the demon’s body had fallen.

With a flick of martial arts energy, Chris attached it to the tip of his sword, the energy seemingly sticky as it adhered to the ice bead. He rinsed it briefly in another puddle before pulling his sword back.

“Not bad, the luster is excellent,” Chris muttered, lifting the bead between his fingers. “This is a high-quality Ice Hail Pearl. You must have been a great knight in your former life to produce such a fine pearl.”

Fifteen minutes later, the hunt was over.

Without Chris’s help, only Russell, Eric, and the others had handled the snow demon invasion perfectly.

One by one, the headless bodies were destroyed, the skulls crushed by the Armored Knights to release the frozen energy and return the demons to their deathless, silent state. What remained were the small Ice Hail Pearls, the crystallized essence of the slain demons.

“Eleven Ice Hail Pearls, all collected, my lord.” Charles, eager as ever, offered a handful of the snow-white pearls to Russell, muttering, “As for the Great Snow Demon’s Ice Hail Pearl… it’s not here.”

“Mm.” Russell waved his hand, not accepting the pearls. He was simply relieved to be able to catch his breath. It had been his first battle, his first hunt for Snow Demons. Everything had come so suddenly, but it was exhilarating and satisfying.

Now, he was completely drained of martial arts energy. His body was drenched in sweat, and the interior of his dark golden ceramic armor was soaked with heat, making him feel like he was in a sauna – strangely comfortable despite his exhaustion.

“You did exceptionally well, Master Russell,” Chris approached, tossing the high-quality Ice Hail Pearl to Charles. “One Great Snow Demon, eleven Snow Demons-it was a glorious victory.”

Eric, still panting heavily, didn’t respond. He was skilled in battle, but he didn’t care for post-fight praise.

Russell grinned, catching his breath. “Without your cover, how could we have attacked in full force, Lord Chris? By the way, Charles, return the Ice Hail Pearl from the Great Snow Demon – it is Chris Knight Commander’s rightful spoils.”

“No need,” Chris replied firmly. “I’ve made no effort. This is your victory, not mine.”

Russell didn’t insist.

After catching his breath, he laughed heartily, “Come on, Master Chris, everyone, follow me back to the manor for a luncheon.”

He sheathed his green ceramic sword and called out loudly, “Today we drink from noon till night! We will not rest until we are all drunk!”

“All praise to Russell! All praise to our Lord!” Charles, who had lost his mount and spent most of the fight biding his time, followed eagerly with cheers.

After a brief regrouping, the party prepared to return.

Suddenly, Russell reined in his mount and looked back at the battlefield. The snow demon’s tracks had all but disappeared, leaving only a faint smell of decay that was slowly carried away by the wind. In a few days, even the remnants would probably melt back into the earth.

“Charles, when we return, have a stone tablet placed here. Not to commemorate our battle, but to honor the return of the twelve humans,” Russell said quietly.

Charles paused, then nodded solemnly, “Yes, my lord.”