“Howard, are you alright?”
Caitlin gazed at Howard intently, her face etched with concern.
At this moment, all the students understood and couldn’t help but inwardly scoff, “Howard almost killed Matthru and Dougton, and you’re asking if he’s okay? Look at him, full of life and vigor; he doesn’t seem to be in trouble at all!”
Glyn and Aisha, who also knew Howard and were aware of his strength, weren’t particularly surprised by the scene.
It was Sarah who scrutinized Howard closely before speaking directly, “Kid, you’re quite heavy-handed, aren’t you? It seems you don’t quite regard us seniors with much respect!”
Actually, the situation had escalated beyond individual student rivalries and had become a matter between two grades.
Matthru’s victory over other first-year students had angered Howard, and similarly, Howard’s harsh treatment of Matthru and Dougton was bound to enrage the upperclassmen. 𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t
If they didn’t step in, wouldn’t it imply that the freshmen had surpassed them?
Therefore, even though Sarah noticed Caitlin’s fondness for Howard, he still chose not to give face, calling out coldly.
His words also allowed the nearby upperclassmen to breathe a sigh of relief.
It was good that someone was willing to step up; otherwise, the upperclassmen would really become a laughing stock!
Caitlin’s brows furrowed slightly as she turned her gaze towards Sarah.
Sarah, however, paid no heed to Caitlin. Instead, with a tap of his toes, he leaped gracefully into the air like a majestic roc spreading its wings, and landed steadily on the stage in front of Howard.
Such an entrance immediately elicited cheers from countless students.
Howard studied Sarah carefully, noting his leather armor. He was likely not a warrior, shield bearer, knight, or other conventional class. He might be an archer or assassin, or perhaps even a hidden class.
Like Glyn and Caitlin, they both belonged to unconventional classes, not only gaining higher attributes upon leveling up but also having access to more powerful skills.
However, choosing a hidden class was no small feat.
It required completing nearly insurmountable tasks and spending a considerable amount of money on special scrolls.
Such scrolls couldn’t even be purchased in shops; they had to be acquired either from major families or powerful factions or through high-profile auctions.
Caitlin and her peers had formidable forces backing them, enabling them to join a hidden class at such a young age.
Collecting his thoughts, Howard responded calmly, “Arrogant? So, it’s alright for you seniors to bully others, but not for us to resist?”
“There’s nothing more to say. Let’s get started. If you can withstand ten of my moves without defeat, then we’ll consider ourselves bested this time.”
Sarah’s eyes chilled as he spread his hands. Just as Howard was puzzled by his action, a crisp whistling sound filled the air. Suddenly, a dozen daggers, glittering coldly, floated behind Sarah.
“Huh? Controlling swords with spirit? No, those are daggers!”
Startled by this sight, Howard was taken aback. It was his first time witnessing such an attack method. He quickly retreated, putting a distance of 20 yards between himself and Sarah.
Howard had a premonition that these daggers were no ordinary weapons.
“Sarah, you are entering the fray too?” The mentor, apparently recognizing Sarah, shook his head and said, “Remember, this is a freshman. Don’t go overboard.”
“Alright, the distance has been set. I’ll start the countdown, and then you may begin. If anyone breaks the rules, they’ll be declared the loser!”
“3… 2… 1!”
As the countdown ended, the mentor moved closer to Howard.
It was clear that even though Howard had defeated Matthru and Dougton with a thunderous approach, the mentor didn’t believe Howard could handle Sarah.
After all, Sarah was second only to Caitlin in their grade, and individuals like Matthru were no match for him, easily taken down in mere moments!
Furthermore, considering the level advantage, he subconsciously assumed Howard would lose, even preparing to protect Howard if necessary.
However, he was unaware that Howard’s physical constitution, or basic attributes, had already surpassed Caitlin and others. Even though they were of hidden classes, they could at best pose some threat to Howard, but there was no chance of defeat.
Simultaneously, Sarah’s eyes turned icy as he thrust his hands forward. The many daggers behind his immediately whistled out, seemingly tearing through space itself with their cold gleam, aiming straight for Howard.
Witnessing this, Howard swung the Soul Nurturer, and Frostbite Assault skill burst forth.
Hum—
A chilling cold air gathered, instantly turning into a flurry of snowflakes, soaring towards the daggers.
Crackle!
The moment the snowflakes made contact with the daggers, they erupted in a crisp sound, causing the daggers to tremble violently.
A shield, formed from Howard’s MP, also emerged around him.
However, Sarah’s reputation was not unearned; his strength was not mere bluster. As the daggers and snowflakes clashed relentlessly, he leaped into the air, waving his hands, and dozens more daggers flew out, bursting from the sky towards Howard. 𝘪𝑎.𝒸𝘰
Howard had not anticipated this move, and due to the limitations of being a magus, he was unable to move while casting skills, leaving him no option but to watch the dozens of flying knives aiming straight for him.
In this moment, Howard’s only hope was placed on his MP Shield.
With a crisp piercing sound, the daggers, shimmering with a cold light, almost instantly shattered the shield upon contact and struck Howard’s body.
It was a shield-breaking effect!
Seeing this, many senior students couldn’t help but smile, while the juniors looked on with anxious faces.
Clang—
A sound like the clashing of gold and iron echoed, and in the next instant, the pupils of numerous students, including the mentor, widened in shock, frozen in place.
Remarkably, as the daggers struck Howard, sparks flew. The sharp blades were unable to even scratch Howard’s skin, let alone penetrate it!
Even Sarah himself was taken aback, exclaiming, “Impossible, how can you block my attack? My daggers have magic-breaking and shield-breaking properties!”
“Hmph! I refuse to believe this, Death Dash!”
As he spoke, Sarah brought his hands together, and as he spread them apart again, a black dagger materialized. In the next moment, he flung the dagger. It shot towards Howard like an arrow released from a bow.
With his Frostbite Assault concluded, Howard was no longer in a position of simply taking hits. With a thought, he wielded the Soul Nurturer, and a piercing cold wind instantly gathered behind him, forming several wind blades that surged forward to meet the black dagger.
Clang!
The wind blades collided with the dagger, shattering in the process.
Fortunately, Howard had anticipated this. Multiple wind blades materialized in succession, continuously breaking apart until finally, one of them struck the dagger, sending it flying.
This scene elicited gasps of surprise from numerous students.
It was known that Sarah’s level was much higher than Howard’s, so the situation shouldn’t be this evenly matched.
An equal fight meant a loss!
Especially since Sarah had declared that if Howard could withstand his ten moves, he would win. Realizing this, Sarah immediately became frantic.
“Raining Carnage!”
At this moment, Sarah no longer held back, channeling all his power, with a casting bar appearing above his head.
Howard didn’t attempt to interrupt Sarah’s spellcasting. He wanted to defeat his head-on to prove his strength.
Once he defeated Sarah, he reckoned that there wouldn’t be many in the entire academy who would dare to challenge him.
After all, within the whole Holy Abyss Academy, there were only about ten people stronger than Sarah.
Apart from Caitlin, they were all from even higher grades!
As Sarah was casting, numerous sharp daggers silently coalesced, hovering beside his.
In just a few breaths, over a hundred daggers had formed, and their number was still increasing rapidly.
At this point, Howard finally understood why he had been able to defeat Glyn.
So many daggers attacking at once would be overwhelming for most awakened individuals.
Sarah’s loss to Caitlin was likely due to Caitlin’s superior movement speed and attack rate. Before Sarah could finish his spellcasting, he was probably already heavily injured.
“Howard, quickly interrupt his casting!”
“Come on Howard!”
At this moment, the first-year students below also realized the urgency of the situation, and their voices rang out in support.
However, to their dismay, they noticed that Howard not only refrained from making a move but had also dissipated his own protective shield.
Indeed, Howard intended to use the most straightforward and savage method to overpower Sarah. This would serve as a minor shock to the upperclassmen, ensuring they would never again underestimate a first-year student.
“Haah, Raining Carnage!”
Five full seconds passed, with nearly a thousand daggers swirling around, forming what resembled a dragon entirely composed of daggers. With a thunderous roar, it lunged straight for Howard.
The terrifying gust of wind seemed to tear through the very space, shattering the wooden planks of the stage, causing the faces of countless students to undergo drastic changes!
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