Being an SS-level skill, its special effects were undoubtedly maxed out, exuding an overwhelming oppressive aura.
Almost the instant the purple-black light emerged, a terrifying force halted Mortality Murderer in its tracks, causing it to constantly roar and struggle as if in a fierce battle against its own restraints.
The students, needless to say, stood no chance against such intimidating pressure.
They were all trembling, huddled on the ground, succumbing to the sheer might of the skill.
Even Tana and Wales, who were frantically rushing over from not too far away, felt this surge of power and their faces drastically changed.
Unfamiliar with Howard’s new skill, they mistook it for an enemy’s attack, naturally worrying for the safety of their students.
After all, Tana and Wales were mentors.
The thought of their students being harmed under their watch would not only plunge them into a deep well of guilt but would also bring about severe repercussions from the academy. 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t
Consequently, Tana and Wales pushed themselves to the limit, deploying their techniques to rapidly increase the distance between themselves and Atael’s group.
Meanwhile, Howard had already released the bowstring, sending a massive purple-black feathered arrow hurtling towards the centipede-like Mortality Murderer.
The sight of the gigantic arrow, sharp beyond belief, piercing through the body of the Mortality Murderer, was a sight to behold.
A spray of green blood gushed out, an eerie testament to the arrow’s lethal precision.
The moment the green blood hit the ground, it corroded the surface, sending plumes of smoke rising and dispersing into the air.
In just a few short breaths, the eerie green mist had already enveloped the vicinity of Howard and his companions.
Instantly, Maithus and the others felt an overwhelming sense of weakness, a nauseating urge to vomit overwhelming them.
Noticing the green fog nearby, their faces turned ashen.
They cried out urgently, “Fall back, that green mist is poisonous!”
As their warning echoed, the students retreated en masse.
Only Howard remained steadfast amidst the green fog, drawing his bowstring once again, his eyes firmly fixed on the Mortality Murderer.
What a joke, he thought. Having finally managed to lower the Mortality Murderer’s Defense Value, it would be a grave mistake not to seize this opportunity to inflict more damage.
As for the toxic green mist?
Howard didn’t believe Judy, the Holy Maiden of the Church, would just stand by and watch them be poisoned.
Even the Holy Maiden of the Solomon Sacred Assembly possessed extraordinary abilities that put considerable pressure on him.
Surely, Judy couldn’t be less capable?
As expected, Judy showed no signs of panic.
Her hands moved swiftly, forming seals while she chanted under her breath.
As the incantation concluded, an Angel Phantasm materialized behind her.
The Angel Phantasm opened its mouth, exhaling a gentle breeze that instantly swept away all the green mist to a distance.
Not just that, the students touched by this breeze felt as if basking in the warmth of spring.
Their fatigue and sense of weakness vanished, with a glowing light flickering above their heads, bestowing them with enhanced states.
Empowered by this blessing, Howard’s strength surged, and he unleashed the Tempest of Arrows.
Despite its unassuming name, this was a genuine SS-level skill in its own right.
It was a sight to behold: feathered arrows shot from Howard’s hands at incredible speed, tracing beautiful parabolas in the air.
Carrying astonishing force, they relentlessly struck the Mortality Murderer.
With its Defense Value diminished, each arrow pierced through its iron-like armor, burrowing deep into its flesh and causing a cascade of green blood.
Damage numbers emerged above its head, each one a testament to the arrows’ potency.
“-3029!”
“-3112!”
“-3788!”
“-3427!”
“…”
Individually, these numbers might not seem excessively high, but consider the sheer volume: the Tempest of Arrows consisted of thirty arrows, each with a knockback effect, effectively immobilizing the Mortality Murderer and leaving it no chance to dodge the subsequent onslaught.
As its HP plummeted, all thirty arrows found their mark, stripping nearly a hundred thousand points from its health!
“Roar!”
Losing such a substantial amount of HP in one go, the Mortality Murderer entered a state of extreme fury.
Its body twisted and contorted, rolling continuously, its sharp limbs glinting like blades under the moonlight.
Watching the Mortality Murderer’s relentless rolling, drawing perilously close to the students, Howard leapt high, dodging its attack.
In mid-air, he shouted commands: “Students with control abilities, use them now! Keep it restrained!”
“To the rest of the students, fall back for now!”
The Mortality Murderer, after all, was a high-level Diamond-grade BOSS with astonishing attributes.
Except for Howard, any student attacked by it could likely be instantly killed.
Thus, the respect it deserved was duly given.
The students, aware of their significant power gap with Howard, didn’t underestimate the BOSS being subdued by him and promptly retreated.
At this juncture, Ying Chan made her move.
True to her heritage as a direct descendant of the Chan family, even at her young age and with equipment grades far from modest, she let out a piercing cry, and a burst of flames erupted from her being.
In the next moment, Ying Chan transformed into a blazing phoenix.
Although smaller in size compared to Shelley Chan’s form, her aura was scarcely less imposing.
Her fiery red wings fluttered.
As the phoenix incarnation of Ying Chan dived, she trailed countless flames, bombarding the Mortality Murderer with fiery wrath.
Boom!
Struck by the flames, the Mortality Murderer staggered.
Instantly, Ying Chan, in her fiery phoenix form, extended her claws, piercing the flesh of the Mortality Murderer on both sides.
It was as if an eagle had seized a chick, lifting the Mortality Murderer into the air.
For a moment, the Mortality Murderer convulsed and writhed in the sky, but a series of pale red damage numbers continuously emerged above its head.
“-321!”
“-192!”
“-278!”
“-302!”
“…”
The damage from the searing flames kept appearing, even controlling the Mortality Murderer in the air.
Witnessing this scene, Howard took a deep breath and unleashed his SS-level skill – Icy Touch of Winter Goddess!
As the skill activated, a piercing cold wind howled, and snowflakes began to fall, swiftly encasing the Mortality Murderer in ice mid-air.
The ethereal silhouette of the Winter Goddess appeared, her gaze as cold as snow, extending a pristine, white jade finger.
Crack—
A crisp sound echoed as the layer of ice encasing the Mortality Murderer began to shatter.
Not only the ice but also its body and flesh turned into fragments, plummeting to the ground.
[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard, you have successfully slain the Mortality Murderer! You have been awarded 50,000 experience points!]
A generous reward of experience points was bestowed, and Howard let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, in the end, it was his superior skill that prevailed.
Utilizing three SS-level skills, in combination with the other students, and Ying Chan’s control ability, they managed to keep the beast under control until its demise, giving it little chance to fight back.
Regrettably, the initial assault by the Mortality Murderer had been too much for the group of survivors, resulting in the loss of two more lives.
Now, only three survivors remained at the base.
They had become completely numb, showing no emotional response even as friends and loved ones perished before their eyes.
Their only hope was to ensure their safety.
As long as someone among them survived, there was a possibility for their community to continue and endure.
“Extraplanar creatures are indeed terrifying,” observed one of the students. “Their aggression seems stronger than ordinary monsters, and their methods of attack are even more outrageous.”
A student, puzzled, asked, “What do we do next?”
“Find the space rift!” Howard said firmly. “As long as the space rift remains, Extraplanar creatures will continue to emerge. Once their numbers increase, even mentors might struggle to handle them!”
“Alright!”
“Then let’s go find the space rift.”
“But Howard, what about these three survivors?”
Upon hearing this, Howard scrutinized the three survivors, his brow furrowing slightly.
Protecting the survivors would mean dividing their forces.
If any monster lurking in the shadows launched a surprise attack, Howard feared the students might be in danger. 𝘦.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Yet, abandoning these survivors didn’t sit well with him either.
They were, after all, comrades-in-arms.
After a moment, Howard spoke, “Would you like to join us? If we can find the space rift, you will have a chance to survive.”
Before the survivors could respond, a sudden, angry roar pierced the air, echoing between heaven and earth.
“Damned humans, how dare you slay my offspring!”
“I will use your blood to honor the spirits of my Murderer kin!”
Almost as soon as these words fell, the starry sky surrounding Howard and his group was torn asunder.
Then, a gigantic centipede, over thirty yards long and floating in the air, reminiscent of a dragon in size, came into view of the awe-struck students!
𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮